She Can Move Redux
by Miss Ashlynn
Summary: Link reminded himself that he was not following the blonde haired girl with the intent of getting a phone number or anything romantic in nature. After all, he'd just broken up with Malon and it seemed wrong to take an interest in another woman so quickly. No, he was simply trying to figure out why she looked so familiar to him and where he knew her from. Modern Zelink and Shidna
1. A Dancer and A DJ

**She Can Move Redux**

**Written by Miss Ashlynn  
**

**Beta'd by SomewhereOnlySheKnows  
**

**She Can Move  
**

**Chapter One : A Dancer and A DJ  
**

_Media City, Termina  
_

_Unknown Location  
_

"Such a beautiful city..." These were the musings of the large figure shrouded in darkness as he gazed at the brightly lit skyline. "And yet... so corrupt. A veritable cesspool of filth." His deep voice reverberated through the corridor.

Another slighter figure emerged from the shadows and stood by the first.

"Just look at the grandeur of this metropolis." the first continued, making a sweeping gesture. "What do you see?"

"I see a city that needs drastic change." the second replied, his voice emotionless.

"Yes. And we will be the ones to bring it. A fresh start." After a pause they continued. "I am pleased by your commitment to our goals, my faithful follower. Do not think your dedication has gone unnoticed. There will be a place for you at my right hand when we begin anew."

"Our goals will always be my chief concern, despite the... diversion of my profession. Surely you know I've always been dedicated to you, Sir."

The larger figure nodded.

"Yes you have. Of that I've no doubt." he paused, considering the bustling streets below. "So many people want change, but no one wants to make the necessary decisions. When the decay is so deep, there's really nothing left to do but-"

"Burn it down."

* * *

_Castle City, Hyrule_

_Downtown Castle City_

Nighttime was always busy in Hyrule Castle City. After dark, the bright lights, the loud noises of traffic and the endless hustle and bustle of people were like a constant assault on the senses. Amidst the shuffling masses a petite blonde woman of 21 walked alone. Feeling her phone vibrating in her pocket she popped out her earbuds and answered the call. She had an inkling as to who it was.

"Hey Sheik, I'm less than five minutes away." she told her older brother. "Just try and stall for me, okay? I'm coming." Hanging up before he could say anything in reply, she walked faster.

In less than five minutes, just like she promised, she was headed down a dark alleyway in Downtown Castle City. As she rounded the corner she came to a doorway in a brick building illuminated by a lone streetlight. People hung back in the shadows smoking, drinking, and making out. She could hear the bass from outside; it was so powerful the metal trashcans trembled in response. Ignoring several catcalls and whistles she made her way down the steps and stepped inside.

'_I don't think I've ever seen it this busy_.' she thought as she scanned the crowds for familiar faces. The young woman was at one of the hottest clandestine dance spots in Castle City. The Underground was known for it's dance battles, and if your crew was skilled, you could make really good money. Tonight seemed to be unusually crowded though. Then she remembered what the prize was. Ten grand was up for grabs; now the frenzy was understandable. Finally she caught sight of her friend Kafei and ran up to meet him.

"Hey Zelda!" he shouted to her above the music. "We've got less than two minutes left! Comon!" Kafei grabbed her around her wrist and pulled her through the crowd until they met up with the rest of her crew.

"She's here!" he announced. Sheik whipped his head around with a look of relief.

"Zelda you have _**got**_ to stop scaring me like that. We're cutting it too close." he sighed, taking her coat and duffle bag and throwing it where they had stashed all the rest of their stuff. "And it's rude to hang up on people." he added as an afterthought.

Kafei's girlfriend, Anju, smiled and waved at Zelda when their eyes met. Zelda returned the gesture before facing her brother again.

"I'm sorry Sheik, I really am!" she replied sincerely, deciding to skip the explanation for her tardiness in favor of getting down to business. "So what are we up against?" Zelda stood on a overturned crate to get a look above the crowd at the dance floor.

"The competition is really fierce tonight!" Sheik shouted above the noise. "We need to bring our A game tonight!" Zelda nodded absentmindedly ruffling her hair. The crews that were currently battling were putting on a helluva show.

"How nice of you to join us!" Midna shouted suddenly beside her.

"Sorry..." Zelda answered sheepishly. "When work called I forgot about tonight and said I'd come in."

"Hey I tried to tell Sheik you were coming but you know how he gets excited." the Twili girl replied and the two young women laughed, knowing it was true.

"This group has defeated the past three crews it's gone up against." Midna continued and Zelda's eyebrows raised in surprise thought she tried not to let this information rattle her.

"Impressive." she managed to say, her mind racing.

Thunderous applause filled the club as the battle ended.

**"WELL, WELL, WELL!" **the DJ's voice boomed through the giant speakers **"LET'S SEE WHICH CREW MOST IMPRESSED THE CROWD! MAKE SOME NOISE IF YOU WERE FEELIN' **_**SYMMETRY**_**!" **The crowd responded well but Zelda had a feeling it wouldn't be good enough.

"**NOW LEMME HEAR IT IF YOU WERE FEELIN' **_**DIN'S FURY!**_**" **The crowd went insane making _Din's Fury _the obvious winners of the battle. That made four wins in a row.

"We're up guys!"Sheik shouted. Their crew, which consisted of Sheik, Zelda and Midna, Kafei, and their other friends Vaati and Mikau, made their way through the crowd as they heard the DJ say...

**"NEXT CREW UP! DESTINY CREW! MAKE SOME NOISE FOR **_**DIN'S FURY VS DESTINY CREW!**_**"** Zelda's crew was standing in formation under the blinding lights, the crowns of their heads illuminated while their faces remained in shadow. Their competition sneered at them from the other side of the dance floor. This was the part she especially loved, the fleeting moments of tense silence before the battle when she could feel the adrenaline racing through her veins.

Din's Fury would be the first to go and they were already getting in formation- they'd huddled together in a circle, their arms about eachother's shoulders.

_Party Rock Anthem: LMFAO (Arion Dubstep Remix)_

_(Let's go)  
_

_Party rock is in the house tonight  
_

_Everybody just have a good time  
_

_And we gon' make you lose your mind  
_

_Everybody just have a good time  
_

The group - still in a huddle, started pulsating with the music when the beat began.

_Party rock is in the house tonight  
_

_Everybody just have a good time  
_

_And we gon' make you lose your mind  
_

_We just wanna just wanna see you  
_

_(Shake that)  
_

Simulating an explosion, suddenly everyone fell away, revealing the crew's sole female member. She sprung into action, leaping over her teammates and onto the dance floor.

Zelda and Midna exchanged knowing glances when the woman started breaking. This meant one of them would have to break during their set.

_Party rock is-party rock is-party rock is-party_

___Party rock is-party rock is-party rock is-party_

_Party rock is-party rock is-party rock is-party (Put your hands up)_

_Party rock is-party rock is-party rock is-party (Put Your hands up)  
_

Sheik nudged her, and Zelda absentmindedly leaned toward him, her eyes still on the competition.

"Either you or Midna have to open." he said and Zelda nodded. She'd figured as much. This certainly wasn't what she'd bargained for tonight.

Everyday I'm shufflin'

_Party_

_Oo-oh (Put your hands up)_

_Party_

_Oo-oh (Shake that)_

_Party _

_Oo-oh (Put your hands up)_

_Party_

_When my beat drop I make your girl go-_

After stringing together a few particularly seductive moves, the dancer melted back into her group as they all joined in with a choreographed piece. As a group they went into a toprock followed by more choreography.

_Party_

_Oo-oh (Put your hands up)_

_Party_

_Oo-oh (Shake that)_

_Party _

_Oo-oh (Put your hands up)_

_Party_

_Everyday I'm shufflin'  
_

"Are you alright to start?" Midna was suddenly in her ear._  
_

Zelda met her best friends eyes and shrugged. What was she supposed to say?

"I'll do my best."

"It's just that I think when it comes to power moves between the two of us, you'd come out on top."

The blonde nodded, already planning ahead.

_...party rock is in the house tonight  
_

_Everybody just have a good time  
_

_And we gon' make you lose your mind  
_

_Everybody just have a good time_

_Party rock is in the house tonight  
_

_Everybody just have a good time  
_

_And we gon make you lose your mind  
_

_We just wanna see you  
_

_Holy $h*t!  
(Shake that)  
_

Din's Fury had a certain intensity - an intensity Destiny Crew would have to surpass to beat them. Zelda tried not to be too nervous, though she was fully aware that when it came to battles, the guys (mainly Sheik and Vaati) had the real star power. She wasn't used to being the one they depended on to swing the odds in their favor, but since quite a great deal of this performance was actually a solo, they'd have to respond in kind.

_Everyday I'm shuffling  
_

After the group's strong finish the crowd cheered and the DJ immediately played a new track, the one they'd be dancing to. Her teammates had lined up behind her, having already discussed an opening and Zelda took a deep breath- this was it. She let the music take her away...

**_Moment For Life: Nicki Minaj Break Science Dubstep Remix_**

The others began moving their arms, waving them gently until the beat kicked in._  
_

_I could have this moment _

_for life_

_Cause in this moment_

_f-f-feels so alive_

Their movements went tight as the beat began and Sheik, Kafei, Mikau and Vaati started popping and tutting with Zelda still in the front. Mimicking the action of a claw machine, four pairs of hands picked her up and brought her forward, setting her apart from the rest of the crew.

_I could have this moment _

_for life_

_Cause in this moment_

_feels so alive_

_alive  
_

Zelda floated out onto the dance floor. Now on her own, she went into a top-rock to get some momentum going.

_I wish that I could have this moment for life_

_for life_

_for life  
_

_Cause in this moment I just feel so alive  
_

_alive  
_

_alive  
_

When she spontaneously threw herself into a double corkscrew, the crowd responded immediately. Sheik was smiling; he taught her that one._  
_

_I wish that I could have this moment for life  
_

_This is my moment  
_

_Alive  
_

_Alive Alive  
_

The smile dropped however, when he saw her go directly into a pirouette and roll, falling to the floor and beginning a series of flares. Only Zelda would inadvertently mix ballet and extreme martial arts.

_Roll it  
_

_I fly with the stars in the skies_

_I'm no longer tried to survive_

_Don't worry 'bout me and who I fire_

_I get what I desire_

_It's my empire_

_And yes I call the shots, I am the umpire_

_I sprinkle holy water upon the vampire_

She was flying through her floor work as the rest of her crew loomed on the edges of the spotlight

_In this very moment I'm king_

_In this very moment I slay Goliath with the sling_

_In this very moment I bring, put it on everything_

_That I will retire with the ring_

_And I will retire with the crown, yes_

_No I'm not lucky I'm blessed yes_

_Clap for the heavy weight champ, me. _

_But I couldn't do it alone we_

.

_Young money raised me, grew up out in Baisley_

_South side Jamaica, Queens and it's crazy_

_Cause I'm still hood, Hollywood couldn't change me_

_Shout out to my haters, sorry that you couldn't phase me_

_Ain't being cocky, we just vindicated_

_Best believe that what we done this moment will be syndicated, _

_I dunno_

_This night just reminds me of everything they deprived me of..._

Her arms were burning but she pushed through the pain, gritting her teeth in concentration as she performed several windmills.

_Put your drinks up_

_It's a celebration every time we link up_

_We done did everything we could think of_

_Greatness is what we're on the brink of_

And... this... was... it. Zelda quickly pushed herself up on one hand for a freeze. Her eyes fell closed in relief when she heard the crowd respond. Still running on adrenaline she pushed herself up and went to the back of her crew which had started a choreographed piece._  
_

_This is my moment  
_

_I've waited all my life  
_

_I can tell it's time  
_

_Drifting away I'm one with the sunsets  
_

_I have become alive  
_

_I wish that I could have this moment for life_

_for life  
_

_Cause in this moment I just feel so alive_

_alive_

_I wish that I could have this moment for life_

_for life,  
_

_Cause in this_ _moment I just feel so alive,_

_alive_

Destiny Crew had a solid ending. The audience cheered as the lights dimmed once again and the DJ's voice came over the sound system.

**"ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT! NOW THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKIN' ABOUT! I HAVE A FEELING THIS IS GONNA BE CLOSE BUT LET'S SEE WHAT THE AUDIENCE DECIDES! LET ME HEAR IT IF YOU LIKED **_**DIN'S FURY**_**!" **The audience went crazy again. Zelda and Midna, still breathing heavily, exchanged nervous glances.

**"NOW GIVE IT UP IF YOU WERE FEELIN' **_**DESTINY CREW**_**!" **

Sheik gave her an excited look and mouthed out the words 'Holy crap we might win!' **"AND THE WINNER IS...**_**DESTINY CREW**_**!" **

They'd done it? They bested the crowd favorite? Victory was sweet, but the members of Destiny Crew had a long night ahead, as they still had to beat the remaining challengers.

Their win, however, seemed to be a sign of good things to come since the rest of the competition could not have gone better and the friends left with a lot more money than they came with. $1,666.00 per person to be exact.

* * *

It was early morning and Zelda was beyond tired but it was hard to not be excited when they'd just won so much money.

After collecting their winnings, the group went to Telma's to celebrate. Despite the late hour, the bar was packed with not an empty table in sight. At one end of their table sat the girls, whereas Kafei and Sheik, Vaati and Mikau had a highly animated conversation going on at the other.

"We're really loud." Midna laughed, watching the boys with amusement.

"Technically it's the just the boys." Anju replied and it was true. Sheik, Kafei, Vaati and Mikau all shared the tendency to get a little rowdy.

"Actually, have you guys ever noticed that whenever we're all together we're almost always super loud? Like the loudest group in the bunch?" Zelda asked, shelling a peanut from the basket. "Or the boys I mean." The men in question paused and shot her grouchy looks which she ignored. "So what are you guys gonna do with your winnings?"

"Shop." Midna replied with a grin. "And I don't know, pay my cell phone bill and whatnot."

"So responsible." Zelda smiled.

"Our winnings will probably go mostly toward bills." Anju said with a shrug.

"What?" Kafei broke away from his conversation long enough to hear Anju's comment, looking at her like she'd gone insane. "I don't know about you, but I'm getting an XBox 360."

Sheik, Mikau and Vaati broke out in raucous laughter while Anju gaped at her boyfriend in annoyance.

"Well then I'm getting my hair done _and_ a mani-pedi." she replied, crossing her arms

"Me too." Vaati chimed in, his mouthful of chicken.

Zelda laughed, observing as Vaati practically inhaled the food from his plate.

"I have no idea how you can eat buffalo chicken wings so late." she said thoughtfully.

"Sweetheart, I could eat chicken wings for breakfast."

"Amen." Sheik and Mikau said in agreement from behind their burgers and fries.

Midna stole a fry from Sheik's plate, smiling sweetly when he glared at her.

"I only want one." she said.

"You always say that!"

"I do not!" Midna exclaimed, smacking him. "Don't be such a baby." She said this even as she stole another fry, brazenly dipping it in his ketchup.

"SEE!" Sheik gestured to the rest of the table. "Shameless fry-stealing!" Midna was taking yet another as he spoke. Then she had the _audacity_ to double-dip and Sheik moved his plate out of reach, earning a pout from the Twili girl.

"Hey, Zelda. I was impressed with you tonight." Mikau spoke up and the blonde smiled.

"I was really nervous." she admitted.

"When you landed that corkscrew I saw a few people who were all wide-eyed." Sheik said with a grin. "They were surprised that the little blonde girl had skills."

"That was a great moment." Midna agreed, rubbing her friends back affectionately. "You seem to dance your best when you're on your own."

Anju was nodding in agreement.

"Because she has to be." the redhead stated. "It pushes you, Zel. I was really impressed, even though I've seen you dance a million times. Something was different about tonight."

"Her face is all red now." Vaati laughed. "Who woulda thought this was the same girl from earlier?"

The others laughed and Zelda joined them, knowing it was true.

Sheik slid his plate out of Midna's reach once again when she tried to steal his pickle.

Around 4 AM they all said their goodbyes and went their separate ways. Kafei and Anju's apartment was just around the corner. The place Vaati and Mikau shared was a few blocks over. Sheik and Zelda had the longest walk and Midna was staying the night at their place.

* * *

Across the city, the cleaning staff of the Hilton Hotel were just getting to work. The ballroom and lobby were completely trashed from the party that ended half an hour ago. Outside the front doors and across the sidewalk, a young man finished loading the rest of his sound equipment into his cousins' pickup. It had been a very long night for him and now all he wanted to do was go home and sleep. Link Hero was an aspiring DJ and tonight, much to his chagrin, he worked some rich kids' sweet sixteen; it was easily one of the rowdiest parties he'd ever done. That's not to say he was complaining though. The pay had been fantastic, he got lots of free food, and he was able to play some of his original mixes using his turntables.

Satisfied that his precious equipment was secured, he shut the tailgate and hopped in the cab.

The streetlights reflected against the windows as he drove through the city, heading to the apartment he shared with his cousin in Old Castle Town- the older, historical section of the city. Many historical buildings, some hundreds of years old, comprised this section of Castle City and it had become an art district of sorts. There were always musicians playing outdoors and street performers.

In the distance, the flags atop the castle towers blew in the wind and Link'e eyes passed over what he could see of the resplendent structure. Something about Hyrule Castle had always intrigued him. He didn't know what it was, but its' presence filled him with a strange sort of nostalgia, and particularly at sunrise when he'd see peaks of the majestic building against the skyline, it filled him with a peace that he rarely experienced elsewhere.

After pulling into the parking lot across the street from their building, he absentmindedly felt around in his pocket for his cell, turning off the vehicle with his other hand. The screen showed four missed calls, all from Malon.

Surprise, surprise...

Malon LonLon was his longtime girlfriend, though it was safe to say they were going through a rough patch in their relationship at this point in time. Link knew he should probably check what she'd said but he just didn't have the energy to deal with her right now. He piled his equipment on his handtruck and locked the truck before heading to their building.

Link walked through their front door hauling his equipment. He immediately came face to face with his cousin, Dark, who didn't look to be in a good mood. Then Link saw the phone which was laying off the hook and he rubbed his forehead tiredly, already knowing what happened.

"How many times did she call?" Link asked, dreading the answer.

"At least six." Dark muttered. "She didn't leave any messages though."

"Malon has a thing about leaving messages." Link replied as Dark relieved him of the cart, rolling it beside Link's bedroom door. Meanwhile Link headed for the kitchen in search of a beer.

"What's wrong with leaving messages?" Dark asked, coming in the kitchen.

"Want a beer?" Link asked over his shoulder, his head in the fridge.

"Sure." Dark replied.

Link grabbed two beers and straightened up, kicking the fridge shut behind him.

"Now what was the question?" he asked as he threw Dark his drink.

"What does Her Majesty have against leaving messages?" Link smirked, sitting down across their small kitchen table. His cousin hated Malon with a passion...

"If by her majesty you mean Malon; she said she doesn't like having to repeat herself and when she leaves a message she always ends up repeating everything she said when the person returns her call."

Dark snorted and gave Link a look that when translated means _"The woman who nags constantly doesn't like to repeat herself?" _Link responded with his own look that meant _"I don't get it either."_

Exhausted, Link rest his forehead on the table.

"Look, I know it's none of my business..." he heard his cousin scoot his chair away from the table. "But aren't relationships supposed to make you happy?" Dark shuffled off to his bedroom leaving Link alone with his thoughts.

Link felt like he was drowning. Lately while his professional life was picking up, his relationship was crumbling. Lately he found himself wondering if things were better off that way.

Link woke up when he heard his cell going off. Startled, he bolted upright in his chair, his brows knitting together when he realized he was still sitting at the kitchen table. Apparently he'd fallen asleep. When he grabbed his phone he wasn't at all surprised to find a text message from Malon. What was she doing up at this hour?

_Malon: Hey sweetie I have great news. Let's meet 4 coffee tomoro at that place u always go._

Great news, huh? Link already knew what _that_ was about. Malon wanted him to take a spot in her fathers company and apparently she'd been talking to him about it. The LonLons owned a chain of organic health food stores throughout Hyrule and Malon was really involved in the family business. She insisted that Link would be a great asset to their company.

Being excited about the family business was all well and fine, but whenever Link talked about _his _career she either shot him down or changed the subject. Link's dream job was to be the house DJ at a private nightclub and though his DJing business was small right now, he knew truly believed this was what he was born to do. Malon claimed to love him, so why did she seem ashamed of what he did?

Link stared at his phone, considering his options. Well, they had to face their issues eventually. He typed in a response.

_Link: Sure what time?_

Less than a minute later she responded.

_Malon: Meet me at 2. I'll see you then! _

Link stood up from the table and shut off the kitchen lights, his mind racing. He cared about Malon, he really did. If he didn't care so much for her he'd have broken it off a long time ago, but in all honesty, he didn't want to live like this anymore.

After peeling off his shirt and jeans he practically collapsed into bed.

He'd always been good with music, sometimes better than he was with people. With DJing, it was crystal clear when two sounds didn't mix. It either sounded good or it didn't. Why couldn't life be simple like that?

...SCM...


	2. The Only Thing Worse Than Being Single

_**Hi everyone! Sorry for the delay but I hope it was worth the wait! This chapter has over 4,000 more words than the first chapter two with several new scenes added. Enjoy and thanks to everyone who reviewed last chapter! Special thanks to SomewhereOnlySheKnows for her exceptional Beta work! Okay, enough chatter. Presenting She Can Move Redux chapter two!**_

_**Love,**_

_**Miss Ashlynn**_

* * *

_**She Can Move  
**_

_**Written by: Miss Ashlynn**_

_**Beta'd by: SomewhereOnlySheKnows**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Legend of Zelda**_

**She Can Move**

**Chapter Two: The Only Thing Worse Than Being Single and Lonely Is Being In a Relationship and Lonely  
**

It was a beautiful June morning and Hyrule Castle City was filled with activity, almost as if the city itself were a living, breathing entity. It was always in motion and always had something it needed to do.

Sheik and Zelda Harkinian lived in a brownstone right across the street from Central Park which was the largest park in Castle City, sprawling across 800 acres and featuring manicured gardens, tranquil lakes, woodlands, and nature trails to satisfy any outdoor enthusiast. Their apartment -with the wonderful view- was admittedly out of their price range, but the siblings made it work since it was such a nice place.

Within said apartment, Zelda was just waking up.

She knew she had overslept the moment her eyes cracked open. It was way too bright in her bedroom; it had to be at least 10:00am. She sat up quickly, noticing that Midna was still asleep beside her. Perhaps she'd let her sleep a few more minutes. The blonde peeked out the window, smiling at the picture perfect view of Central Park.

Ever mindful of her slumbering friend, Zelda crept out of her bedroom, quietly shutting the door behind her. She heard someone who had to be Sheik in the shower so she decided to make some tea while she waited for the bathroom. As she emerged from the hallway, Zelda realized Vaati and Mikau were there in the living room.

"Hey." The blonde greeted as she walked into the kitchen. The microwave clock read 10:30 am.

"What's up Zel?" Vaati looked up from the tv, munching on a bowl of cereal. Mikau was laying on the area rug, fast asleep and dead to the world.

Sheik and Zelda's apartment was more or less a hang out for their friends, so it wasn't a surprise when people showed up at random times, sleeping on their couch and eating their food. Vaati and Mikau seemed to be at their place more than their own; thankfully, they were in the habit of giving Zelda grocery money to compensate for their massive appetites. Midna also spent a great deal of time at their place; she stayed over almost every night and even kept a toothbrush there.

After placing the kettle on the stove Zelda turned around, surprised to find Vaati looking at her already.

"How's it going?" he asked with a grin, his eyes trailing down her figure and back up again.

"Good, now that I got some sleep." she replied with a shrug. "When did you guys get here?"

"Eh, like half an hour ago." The purple haired man answered and she nodded before reaching up into the cupboard for a mug. All the while she could feel his gaze still on her. She fought the shiver that involuntarily run down her spine.

Vaati was one of those guys that you knew was trouble but for some reason you wanted him anyway. Zelda figured she had a _teeny_ _tiny_ crush on him, but it was nothing she'd lost any sleep over. After all, he was a really hot guy, he was charming and funny...

What girl wouldn't find him attractive?

"Hey you want some tea?" Zelda asked, retrieving the box of tea from another cabinet.

"Nah. I don't care for it."

Zelda racked her brain for anything else they had, glancing in the cupboards once more.

"We have hot cocoa." she suggested. After peering into the fridge: "And whipped cream..." she tittered in a high voice, trying to tempt him.

Vaati grinned, watching her like a predator.

"Hot cocoa sounds good."

Zelda smiled to herself, grabbing another mug.

A few minutes later she was handing Vaati a mug of hot chocolate and sitting on the couch beside him.

"Aw Zelda you're a Goddess," he said taking a sip. "You'll make a good wife someday." Zelda nearly choked on her tea, taken aback by how sincere his compliment sounded. She tried to disguise her cough with a laugh.

"A good wife, huh? Because I make such delicious hot cocoa?"

"Somethin' like that." Vaati replied with a smirk. "I'd marry ya in a heartbeat."

"We both know you're not the marrying kind, Vaati." Zelda said, trying to ignore the butterflies in her stomach.

"You have me all wrong, Zel. I'm actually a very sensitive guy." he replied earnestly. "I just don't stick with one girl for long cause I haven't found the right one for me."  
Zelda raised her eyebrows.

"You believe in 'the one'?" she asked.

"I sure do. I'm really quite the romantic when you get to know me." He smiled again, revealing perfectly white straight teeth. "Don't you?"

Flustered, Zelda looked away and took another sip of tea.

"I don't believe in that sort of stuff." she said quietly, and her tone made Vaati pause.

That was perhaps the most cynical thing he'd ever heard her say and he was about to tell her this when the bathroom door opened and Sheik stepped out wearing nothing but a towel.

"Morning." he said with a grin, his bright blonde hair a mess as usual. "Hey Zel, wanna whip me up a shake?"

"Sure." Zelda replied, grateful for the interruption. She was gone in a flash, eager to put some space between herself and Vaati. Things had gotten a little intense just then.

For a moment the two confused men watched her back as she moved about the kitchen. Vaati looked up when he sensed Sheik glaring at him.

"What did you do?" Sheik accused.

"Will you chill out? I didn't do anything!" Vaati replied, looking back at the tv and shoveling another spoonful of cereal into his mouth.

Seeming satisfied with that answer, Sheik turned his attention to Mikau who was still dead asleep. The muscular blonde shook his head with a laugh before heading to his room to get dressed.

Vaati exhaled, relieved once he was gone. Sheik was fiercely protective of his little sister and though Zelda was hot, Vaati wasn't sure if any woman was sexy enough to risk bodily harm from a fifth degree blackbelt.

The purple haired man looked up when he heard a door open. Midna stepped out of Zelda's room, a grumpy look on her face. She spared him a sideways look before continuing into the bathroom across the hall.

"Good morning to you too..." Vaati muttered, rolling his eyes.

When Sheik returned a minute later Zelda met him in the living room with a tall protein shake and a smile.

"Thanks, Sis." he said, leaning down to kiss her on the cheek.

"No problem." Zelda beamed. By now Midna had finished in the bathroom and came to sit on the far arm of the armchair, still looking miserable.

"So I was thinking..." Vaati's voice began. The siblings turned toward him.

"You were thinking, Vaati?" Midna asked, feigning shock. "Don't hurt yourself."

Vaati didn't grace that comment with a response and ignored Sheik and Zelda's subsequent laughter.

"I wanna buy a few things with some of my winnings." he continued, watching as Sheik plopped down in the big armchair. "Feel like doing some shopping?"

"Dost my ears deceive me?" Zelda teased as she sat on the side of the armchair so that Sheik was sandwiched between the two women like a king. "Vaati, are you actually _suggesting_ that we shop? You hate shopping!"

"Yeah, but I need new shoes. Mine have seen better days." he replied with a shrug.

"Well I'm in." Sheik said. "What about you girls?"

"We're both working 11:00 til close today, so I'm afraid we can't go." Zelda said, frowning when she caught sight of the clock which read 10:40. "That reminds me Midna, we have to get ready to leave soon." She stood up and walked into the kitchen. As she placed her empty mug in the sink she heard Vaati say.

"Why the hell are you going to work today when you just won over 1500 dollars last night? If I were you I'd be quitting that lousy job."

"I'm going to work because who knows the next time we'll win this much money." Zelda replied, passing through the living room and into the hall. "Besides, Blues isn't all that bad." She disappeared into her room, shutting the door behind her and effectively ending the conversation. Midna begrudgingly stood and followed after her.

"She really doesn't like her job," Sheik supplied a moment later. "I know she'd much rather be dancing professionally, but the Castle City Ballet Company turned her down."

"How's she doing?" Vaati asked.

Sheik studied his womanizing friend as he watched tv, wondering why he asked. Finally he answered honestly.

"It killed her the day she found out she was cut. She cried for days. Now I think she's dealing with it, but it still hurts. Probably worse than she shows."

Vaati nodded, understanding.

"And it's just another day in the life of a dancer." he drawled.

It was the truth. Rejection was a constant in the dance the world; Sheik knew this. They all knew that. But that didn't make it any easier to deal with.

* * *

Location: Old Castle Town

Place: Composer Brothers Music Shop

A stocky old man opened the door to the inventory room, revealing his sole employee working diligently.

"Hey Link, it's quarter of two. Didn't you have somewhere you needed to be?"

The young man looked up from his clipboard, widened eyes immediately going to his wristwatch.

"You've been out of it all day, boy." His boss chuckled. "Everything alright?"

"I'm sorry, Mr. Sharp." Link said, running a hand through his tousled hair. "I'm just a little distracted I guess."

Mr Sharp furrowed his brow, taking the clipboard from Link. He fumbled with his glasses which hung by a cord around his neck, finally placing them on the bridge of his nose in a manner that reminded Link of a librarian.

"All the numbers are good, right? I'd hate to have you do the monthly inventory all over again, but I will if you're not sure about the numbers..."

"Oh don't worry about that." Link replied quickly. "I just get tunnel vision that's all. The numbers are fine, I promise."

"Very good." The man stepped aside allowing Link to exit the inventory room. "Well have a good time doing whatever it is you had to do today."

"Thanks, Mr Sharp." Link smiled but it didn't quite reach his eyes. He grabbed his hat from under the front counter and gave a final wave to his boss before leaving through the front door.

It was a gorgeous day, he noticed as he walked along, but his coffee date with Malon was an effective downer to any good mood he could have had. His nerves had him acting like a zombie all day, so bad that even his elderly boss noticed. Link had gone into work early so he could leave earlier than usual. He knew better than to try to fit his talk with Malon within the 30 minutes allotted for his lunch break.

Link noticed the village business owners were setting up for the Latin Music Festival. This year they were pulling out all the stops when it came to decorations judging by the colorful paper ornaments hanging everywhere and the streamers woven around every lamppost. Sure, most of the residents of the art district were in a very good mood. Link was the exception. Despite the happy atmosphere, he felt like he was walking to his doom.

The bells on the coffee shop door jingled merrily and Link stepped inside, his eyes immediately scanning the small shop for Malon, who was nowhere to be found.

Was he late?

Thankfully, a glance at his watch told him no. He was right on time, so it was Malon who was late.

Well that was just fine with him, Link thought as he approached the counter and ordered a coffee. Date or no date, today he was perfectly fine with Malon's tardiness. Today she could be as late as she wanted. In fact, today she could forget about their date altogether and that would be fine with him. Farore knew how much he dreaded the conversation they needed to have.

After receiving his drink Link picked a table and sat down, clutching his cup like a lifeline.

He was so nervous; his stomach was in knots and if that wasn't enough he was also exhausted because last night he hadn't been able to sleep. He'd tossed and turned for hours due to his racing thoughts so finally he'd gotten up and found other things to occupy him until it was time for work. He'd put a great deal of thought into what he was going to say today but that didn't mean he was confident about having this discussion. He was sure Malon would not be pleased when he finally spoke his mind.

As if summoned by his thoughts, the shop door jingled open, and practically every man in the place looked up when a very beautiful woman walked in. Link waved to get her attention, and when he caught her eye she smiled brightly, hurrying to join him.

"I'm so sorry I'm late." Malon told him before bending over to kiss him on the cheek. "You would not believe the morning I had."

"Try me." Link replied. "You want anything to drink?"

"No I'm fine." Malon said, sitting in the chair opposite him. "So this morning I had to meet with a representative from Kokiri WholeFoods. What a weird guy." she rolled her eyes. "But you know what, It's a long story and I have so much to tell you! Are you ready for the good news?"

"Hit me." Link took a gulp of coffee.

"Great." Malon beamed. "As you know I've been talking to my Father about getting you a position in the company." Link's eyes trailed away from her to look out the window. "Now, I've put a lot of thought into this since I know you're not much of a wheeler and dealer. Then I started wondering if maybe advertising would be more suited to your skill set."

"Advertising." Link repeated.

"Yeah you know, it's a little artsy and good for free-thinkers. And would you believe that the advertising division of Lonlon Enterprises is hiring?" Malon asked, clasping her hands together in glee. "I talked to Daddy about it and he says that the job is yours if you want it."

"That's very generous of him," Link said carefully. "But wouldn't I usually need to go to college for something like that?"

"This job is entry level," Malon explained. "There's tons of room for growth too, since experience is invaluable in advertising. Anyway, I got you an interview, but it's really just for show since Daddy's already vouching for you." the redhead looked ecstatic. "Isn't this so exciting? I wanted to tell you last night but I kept getting your answering machine."

Link spun his empty coffee cup around in his hands, his teeth clenching in frustration. He had two options. He could either sidestep the issue, or he could face it head on. For so long he tried to avoid upsetting Malon, because he thought they had something worth saving. But now, as they sat together in the crowded coffee shop, he knew what he thought they'd had was only an illusion.

"You know, last night when I got your text, somehow I knew your good news would be about a job." he said. "You know where I had just gotten back from? Djing. You see, Malon. I have my own business in case you didn't realize..."

Malon snorted.

"Link, I guarantee with this new job you'll make twice as much as you do playing music for birthday parties. And you can finally quit your job at that smelly little music shop too."

Link shut his eyes in annoyance.

"It's not about the money, Malon. I do what I do because I love it and it makes me happy, but you're never going to get that are you?"

She was looking at him as if he'd lost his mind and suddenly Link remembered what Dark had said last night. He'd said that relationships were supposed to make you happy.

"I'm tired of this..." Link muttered. "I'm so tired it's not even funny." He looked up at her, his expression weary. "You and I are never going to want the same things in life are we?" he asked point blank.

The woman across the table glared at him.

"What in the world are you talking about?"

"For _once_ I'm _talking_ _about _our problems instead of _ignoring_ them." Link replied. "Why are we doing this? You want some corporate executive for a boyfriend, and I'm obviously not what you want. I mean, why are we even together? Relationships are supposed to make you happy, Malon, but I'm not happy! Are you happy?" he exclaimed, attracting a great deal of attention with his volume. "Because I'm certainly not!"

"I _thought _you _would _be happy with this news." Malon said venomously.

"That's a load of crap and we both know it." Link pointed across the table, glaring right back at her. "You know that I'm passionate about music and that I care about my business. Yes it's small right now but everyone starts somewhere, yet you repeatedly try to get me into jobs at your family's company, and _this_ time you even went behind my back! I have told you _countless _times that my dream is to Dj at a club. That's what I want to do for a career, but it's like you don't even hear when I'm talking to you."

"You know what? I'm not talking about this." she stood up so fast her chair almost fell over and plowed through a number of people as she hurried towards the door.

"You're not leaving!" Link said, following her. He was hot on her trail as she left the coffee shop and stalked into the street. "You're not leaving!" Malon ignored him and continued walking.

"MALON!" he grabbed her arm and she whirled around. The people passing by them in the streets gave them a wide berth, just in case.

"I'm not letting you leave." he said firmly, looking between her eyes as if to get through to her. "We have to talk about this. Whenever we fight this is _always_ the point you walk away, but I won't let you walk away this time."

"Okay. You wanna talk? Alright, Link. Let's talk." Malon said, and Link could tell she was about to get nasty.

"You think you're the only one who's frustrated?" Malon asked matter-of-factly. "Do you know how frustrating it is for me to be the _only_ one in this relationship who thinks about what's best for us as a couple? You're always going on about what _you_ want and what would make _you_ happy. You have got to be the most selfish person I have ever known!"

That comment was not at all accurate, but it definitely made him angry and Link knew that's exactly what Malon had intended. Now, normally he'd pass over the indiscretion, but today Link was in rare form. Today he _wanted_ to fight, so he took the bait.

"I'm selfish?" Link asked slowly, his brow furrowed as if in thought. "_You_ think... that _I'm _selfish?"

"Yes!" Malon yelled in his face. "Do you know how embarrassing it is for _me_ when all my friends are talking about their boyfriends, the business executives and the lawyers, and then someone asks me, "Oh Malon what does your boyfriend do?" and I have to say 'Oh, my boyfriend plays music at children's parties.' Can you imagine the looks I get, Link?"

He was so upset he could feel himself shaking. She was embarrassed because of him. Well he could fix that right away...

"I'm sick and tired of all the snide remarks and the sideways glances!" she continued. "_That's_ what _I'm_ going through, Link! All because you refuse to do something with your life! It's like you're determined to be a loser and it's driving me insane! When are you going to start thinking about me and how I feel?" she demanded.

Link completely snapped.

"Oh I am _so_ sorry but I completely forgot.." he said wide-eyed. "I forgot that it's all about you. Everyone has to think about Malon because the world revolves around Malon. Forget about how anyone else feels, or what anyone else wants because none of that's important as long as Malon's happy, right? Hey, you there!" Link called to an older man walking by. "Have you been thinking about Malon and her feelings? What about you, young lady?" a young girl looked up in confusion, but her mother told her to keep walking and not to look at the crazy man. "Have _you_ thought about Malon today?" He turned back to the redhead who looked mortified.

"I can't believe I forgot that the whole WORLD REVOLVES AROUND MALON! It's all just MALON, MALON, MALON!" Link shouted, tossing his head head back and forth in a way that would have been comical if he wasn't so angry. "Believe me, I'd have made a lot of decisions differently if only I'd have known that the WHOLE WORLD REVOLVES AROUND YOU!" By the time he'd finished his tirade the woman in question was wide-eyed, her jaw slightly lowered. Coming back to himself, he deflated. He felt drained, like he had nothing left to give.

"Malon. I can't live this way anymore. I don't want to." he ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "It's like you keep holding out for me to change, like I'm suddenly going to give up all my ambitions just to make you happy."

"That's not true, Link." Malon said quickly, finding his tone worrisome. When she attempted to touch his cheek, he brushed her away. "I just want to be there when you grow out of the whole Djing phase."

He looked her straight in the eye.

"This is who I am. Right here, right now." Link said.

"How can you be so sure?" Malon asked, grasping at straws. "In a couple months-"

"I will never be one of those corporate suits." he interrupted. "I will never be the person you want."

He watched Malon's face as his statement sunk in. "I've thought a lot about this... and I think we should break up."

Malon blinked, flabbergasted.

"I want to break up." Link corrected.

"But I love you-" she tried to move toward him but he held his hands up.

"No you don't. You love the _idea_ of me once you've made all your adjustments." He paused, inwardly coming to a realization. "I used to feel so guilty for wanting to pursue music because you hated it so much, but now I realize that I deserve to do what I want with my life, just like I deserve to be happy."

Malon was getting angrier by the second, her hands clenching into fists of rage.

"You're such a great person, Malon. You're going to find a guy that's so much better than me." Link was saying. In reality, Link had no idea if she'd go on to find someone better but he still hoped his sentiments would soften her a little.

They didn't.

"You're damn right I will! You, Link Hero, are making a huge mistake." she replied, her eyes blazing as she held her finger in his face. "There are men who would give anything to be with a woman like me."

"Then I wish you the best of luck." Link replied.

Malon literally growled at him.

"I hate you!" she screamed. "I hate you so much! I never want to see you again! And don't you dare come crawling to me when you're a homeless bum, eating out of a trashcan when your stupid business goes bad! I'll be the first one to rub your face in it!" With that she stormed off, people clearing out of the angry woman's path like she had the plague.

Wow, she'd literally just told him that she loved him before turning around and saying she hated him. Link had expected such strong words to hurt his feelings, so he was surprised when they didn't.

Link Hero stood motionless in the street, the finality of what had transpired washing over him. He couldn't believe they'd broken up, or perhaps that wasn't correct since Malon had broken up with him a number of times over the years, but _this_ was the first time _he _was the one initiating a split. Link felt liberated and in control; it was a feeling he could get used to.

With a secret smile, he turned on his heel and headed back up the street a new man.

* * *

Neither cheap nor terribly expensive, Blues Steakhouse was frequented by the well-to-do and the not so well-to-do easily making it one of Downtown Castle City's most popular eateries. Tonight the restaurant was packed, with an hour wait and a line that ran straight out the door. Within the large dining room, the wait staff scurried to and fro attending to their many customers.

Zelda and Midna had arrived at 11 on the dot, working straight through the lunch rush with the practiced ease of long-time waitresses. Unfortunately, for some reason, today the lunch rush just wouldn't quit. Finally they reached a small lag in which all their tables were content and taken care of for the moment, and the two waitresses met up in the back where they'd set their drinks. It was a small walkway that ran the width of the restaurant, separating the kitchens from the dining rooms. The waitresses often kept their beverages back there, as they could grab something to drink and still keep a watch on their tables in case anyone needed anything.

Zelda told herself she didn't mind waitressing. After all, she'd had some very fun times working at Blues. Some customers were downright hilarious, her coworkers were fun to be around, and her boss Mr Ingo was a kind old man, always ready to make a joke or chatter about nothing. Unfortunately, tonight was not a good night, as she'd had a great deal of troublesome customers all in a row, and judging by the look on her Twili friends' face, Midna hadn't fared much better.

Midna sidled up next to Zelda who was currently sipping her water and looking a bit frazzled.

"I'm considering offering Mr Ingo sexual favors if he'll evict my problem table." Midna said dryly.

That comment was so unexpected and conjured up the most hilarious mental image that Zelda couldn't help herself from laughing, dribbling on herself in the process.

"Make sure you think that through." Zelda said with a giggle as she wiped her chin with the back of her hand. "If he took you up on that offer and threw out paying customers then you'd actually have to follow through." It was a well-known fact that Mr Ingo was infatuated with Midna, and had been for years. With Midna's attitude it was a miracle she was still working here, as she didn't tolerate stupid customers, but Mr Ingo never minded. His blue-skinned beauty could do no wrong. So if Midna were to ever make such an offer to the elderly restaurant owner, the table in question would find themselves booted out the door in seconds flat.

Zelda's eyes roved over the dining room, pausing when she noticed an attractive looking couple enjoying dinner together. The man was sitting with his back to her, but the woman was quite glamourous with a beautiful face and long auburn hair. The couple looked as if they were on a date and Zelda sighed wistfully, recognizing the twinge of jealousy in her chest. What she wouldn't give to be in a loving relationship, with someone to take her out to dinner and to cuddle with at the movies.

Bright blue eyes narrowed in thought. All day long she couldn't stop thinking about that conversation she'd had with Vaati. He'd told her that he was a romantic guy, despite his reputation. He even believed in "the one", much to her surprise. Zelda couldn't help but wonder; was Vaati just misunderstood? He had obviously been flirting with her with this morning, but he'd seemed sincere at times, a sincerity that made him all the more attractive in her book. She was very curious about him. Could he have real feelings for her?

"I'm so pissed that we're here." Midna pouted, folding her arms beneath her bosom. "Today I wanted to start spending my winnings. Instead we're here, directing cattle about the dining room."

Zelda laughed again, but said nothing, her thoughts elsewhere.

"You okay?" Midna asked, concerned. "You seem distracted."

Zelda's shoulders slumped a bit as she leant against the wall. Was she okay? Not really...

"I can't stop thinking about something that happened earlier," Zelda said, turning toward Midna conspiratorially. She considered the suspicious look on the Twili girl's face. "and as much as I want to tell you about it, I feel like I already know what you're going to say."

"Is it about Vaati?"

"Man, you're good." Zelda muttered.

"What happened?" Midna questioned, a little edge to her tone.

Zelda proceeded to relate the interesting conversation she'd had with her brother's handsome friend.

"I know that he's kind of a player, but he seemed sincere." the blonde confided, looking at Midna hesitantly. "Do you think he could actually like me?" Of course that had to be the moment when Zelda caught one of her customers looking for her.

"I have to go but we'll talk about it in a little bit." Zelda said walking back into the dining room.

Midna took another sip of her drink, thinking it over. It was times like this that she really wanted to pound Vaati's pretty purple face in. He was so careless of other people's feelings, using girls for his own amusement. Midna wanted to mess him up so good that he'd never be able to use his looks to his advantage again. Midna smiled, the mental image improving her mood.

Although she couldn't know for sure that Vaati was attempting to play Zelda, it was a huge possibility, and the possibility alone was reason for concern.

At length, the two women found each other again when their tables were taken care of. They both stood in the back walkway, sipping their drinks.

"Do you really want my opinion?" Midna asked.

Zelda cringed at her tone.

"Maybe not." the blonde said, laughing weakly although it wasn't funny. During the time they'd spent apart, Zelda was beginning to regret saying anything at all but Midna plowed on undeterred.

"I think it's very possible that Vaati finds you attractive, but do you _honestly_ think he's serious boyfriend material?" Midna asked pointedly.

"Well can you really be objective about this, Midna?" Zelda asked in response. "You hate Vaati. Of course you would try to talk me out of liking him."

Midna rolled her eyes.

"I only hate him because he's a giant douchebag." Midna replied. "He uses women and hasn't been in one healthy relationship his entire life. He's a manwhore. Personally I think you're well aware Vaati isn't your type, but I think you're just settling for him because there's no one else around."

Trust Midna to hit the nail on the head.

"I hate how perceptive you can be." Zelda murmured.

Midna chuckled from behind her drink, shrugging.

"I guess I'm just tired of waiting around for the right guy." Zelda thought out loud."I mean, any boyfriend is better than no boyfriend right?"

"I don't know about that..." Midna trailed off, begging to differ. "Remember some of the jerks I dated back in high school? I can confidently say I'd much rather be single than with any of those assholes."

Zelda nodded quietly.

"Sorry for raining on your parade." Midna said, although she wasn't at all sorry for warning her off Vaati.

"No worries." Zelda said quietly. Suddenly another thought occurred to her. "Hey Midna?"

"Hm?"

"Do you believe in 'the one'?" Zelda asked.

"Definitely." Midna's answer was not what she'd expected and it must've showed in her face.

"Why'd you make that face?" Midna demanded.

"I didn't make a face, I was just surprised." she said.

"Why does it surprise you that I believe in the one?" Midna huffed, offended.

"Because..." Zelda needed to put this delicately. "Well, Midna... I guess it surprises me to hear you believe in something so romantic when... well, you don't... really like people in general."

Midna blinked. Yeah, that was accurate. Most people irritated her.

"Well that doesn't mean I don't believe in 'the one for me'." Midna clarified. "What made you ask that anyway?

"Vaati told he that he believes in the one." Zelda replied. "Personally I don't believe in that sort of thing."

"I _do_ think that the idea of everyone having a _type_ is a little more realistic." Midna added. "Does that seem more reasonable to you?'

"I guess." Zelda shrugged noncommittally.

"I'm trying to remember some of your past boyfriends." Midna said. "You know, to get an idea of what your type is."

"I've only had two boyfriends and they were in junior high." Zelda replied.

Midna thought about it and looked positively horrified when she realized Zelda was speaking the truth.

"Oh my goddesses, Zelda it _has_ been a very long time since you've had a boyfriend. It's not because no one's been interested though." she said thoughtfully. "I remember a lot of guys that have shown interest in you since then."

"I guess after Dad died, between dance and and school and work, there wasn't much time for me to think about guys."

Midna nodded, understanding.

"Well then how would you describe your ideal man?" she asked.

A very goofy smile spread over Zelda's face and she thought about it as she played with her straw.

"He'd be cute and sweet..." she said in a small voice.

"You just described a kitten." Midna deadpanned.

Zelda laughed and shook her head.

"You didn't let me finish!" she exclaimed before carrying on. "Okay, he'd be cute and sweet with beautiful eyes. He'd be kind...and brave... and I don't know. I guess I just described the usual knight in shining armor." Zelda rolled her eyes at the cliché. She was suddenly tired of being the center of this conversation. Deciding to turn the tables, she regarded her friend with a coy smile. "What about you, Midna? You can't just ask me a question like that and expect me not to wonder the same about you. It's kind of weird that we never talk about this kind of stuff."

Midna raised an eyebrow.

"We talk about men all the time, Zelda."

"Talking about celebrities and unattainable guys doesn't count." Zelda pointed out, crossing her arms. "Now spill it, woman. What do you look for in a man?"

The Twili girl laughed. Zelda wasn't certain, but she almost thought Midna seemed uncomfortable with this conversation- maybe even nervous. She was about to say so but her friend started talking.

"Well, he'd be strong. I like muscular guys. And funny... and I like blonde hair." the Twili girl mused. "And I want someone who could protect me. You know, I've never once been in a relationship where I felt secure." Midna paused, her eyes unseeing as she stared into the dining room. She'd never said that out loud before. "I want someone who knows how to have a good time, but also knows when to be serious. Someone responsible..." she trailed off, her voice thoughtful.

Zelda wondered if she realized she had just described Sheik perfectly.

That night after work, Zelda and Midna took the bus home.

Zelda sat by the window, staring blankly at the passing streetlights and the pedestrians that speckled the sidewalk. She was so tired...

"You know, Zelda." she heard Midna say. "I've been thinking about our conversation earlier. If we ever get tired of looking for Mr Right, we could always quit men altogether." Zelda turned in time to see Midna smiling seductively, a sparkle of humor in her gaze.

"I didn't know you were into girls, Midna." she replied with a grin.

"I'm not." Midna admitted. "But you – you I like. I think I could make an exception for you."

As strange as this conversation was getting, Zelda felt flattered.

"It could work," Midna continued, thinking aloud. Her face was brightening as if she was having an epiphany. "I mean, we could make out without it having to lead to anything. We could go shoe shopping on dates!"

"Oh!" Zelda exclaimed. "When we go out to dinner I can order a salad because I enjoy them and not have to worry about what my food choice says about me as a person!"

"Yes!"

The two women laughed together, the stress from their long workday beginning to fade. Fifteen minutes later they were trudging into Zelda and Sheik's apartment. Midna struggled to compose her inner fangirl when she caught sight of Sheik doing push-ups on the living room floor – shirtless.

"Hey." Sheik greeted, currently on his seventy-fifth pushup and counting.

"Hey Sheik." Zelda kicked off her shoes, her brows knitting together when Midna hurried down the hallway and into the bathroom without a word, or even a glance in her brother's direction.

"How was work?" Sheik asked.

"Same as always." Zelda replied. She walked into the kitchen to grab a water bottle from the fridge, plopping down in the big armchair upon her return to the living room.

"Hey do you and Midna have any plans tomorrow?" Sheik asked.

Zelda tilted her head in thought, bringing her knees to her chest, her feet resting on the seat cushion.

"I think we were going to the dance studio in the morning..." she trailed off, not knowing what time frame he had in mind. "Why?"

"Well I ask because tomorrow afternoon me and a few of the other instructors from the Dojo are putting a presentation together to advertise the school and I was wondering if you could help us." Sheik turned over after finishing his hundredth pushup, sitting indian style on the area rug. "There's some festival going in on Old Castle Town and it would be the perfect place to showcase our skill. I want to do a demonstration on easy self defense maneuvers that women can perform if they're grabbed. I would be the assailant, and I was thinking we could do just a plain wrist-grab, a hair grab, and then maybe a grab from behind."

Zelda nodded, liking the idea right away. These were all maneuvers Sheik had taught her early on in his martial arts training, and her eyes brightened at the thought of how many women would be present in such a public venue. Yes, this was a very good idea.

"We'll be doing three, hour-long segments throughout the afternoon." Sheik continued. "But the rest of the time you'll be free to do whatever you want, maybe do some shopping even."

"That sounds fine to me, but will the other instructors be alright with it?" Zelda asked. "Technically I'm not a student."

"Actually, technically you _are_ a student." Sheik replied. "I taught you."

"Alright." Zelda rubbed her face tiredly. "Sounds good."

The siblings were quiet for a moment and Sheik tilted his head, regarding his little sister with concern.

"You alright?"

Bright blue eyes looked at him from between slender fingers.

"You're the second person to ask me that today." Zelda said, her hand falling to her lap. "Midna asked me that same question at work earlier."

At that moment, Midna emerged from the hallway and walked into the kitchen, not looking their way.

"What's up with her?" Sheik asked leaning back on his hands, completely comfortable in his skin.

"I think she's just tired."

(In the kitchen Midna rolled her eyes having overheard Zelda's excuse. It wasn't fair that Zelda was immune to her brother's good looks when a shirtless Sheik was practically her personal kryptonite.)

Sheik grunted, brushing it off in favor of more important business.

"So are you gonna tell me what's up or do I have to use my ninja senses?"

As much as she wanted to say nothing was wrong and avoid this conversation, she knew trying to fool Sheik was pointless. So she went with the truth.

"I want a boyfriend." she said. And then. "And I'm tired of working at a restaurant when I could be dancing."

"I see..." Sheik replied. He decided to pass right over the boyfriend comment. "Well how much longer til you can audition for the Castle City Ballet again?"

"Auditions are held yearly so nine months. Nine whole months, Sheik. Every time I think about it I swear I die a little bit inside."

"What about a smaller troupe? Aren't there any independent companies you could look into?"

"Joining the Castle City Ballet Company has been my dream for so long, Sheik." Zelda confided quietly. "Anything else would feel like settling."

Sheik nodded, not knowing what he could say that would make her feel better. He wanted to say that sometimes life as a dancer meant rejection. He wanted to say that it wasn't realistic to hold out for the very best and not look for any smaller dancing jobs in the meantime. She'd probably be working at Blues for a while with that attitude. Yes, there were quite a few things his sister needed to learn about life in the dancing industry, but as she sat there looking so small and discouraged, Sheik found he couldn't say any of those things to her. Not right then, at least. And so he opted to breach the other subject. Boyfriends.

"Why do you want a boyfriend, Zelda? A man would only cramp your style."

Zelda gave him a flat look.

"This doesn't have anything to do with Vaati does it?" Sheik pressed, his voice picking up a twinge of anger.

Zelda had to laugh at that last comment.

"Poor Vaati. You're supposed to be his friend and yet you don't trust him at all."

"That's not true." Sheik scoffed. "I trust him with my life, just not with my sister."

"Tell him what happened earlier, Zelda." Midna said, strolling into the room.

Oh sure, now she chose to come out of hiding, the blonde thought, thoroughly annoyed at this turn of events.

"How's it going Midna?" Sheik asked, grinning ear to ear.

"I'd be fine if you'd put a stupid shirt on." the Twili girl replied. "You're like a caveman."

"I still have to take a shower." he replied. "What's the big deal, you've seen me shirtless before..." With that Sheik flexed his pectorals, left and right in quick succession.

Midna glared at him and without further ado, reached for the hem of her shirt and pulled it up over her head, revealing her generous cleavage cradled by a plain black bra.

Zelda broke out laughing when Sheik's eyeballs nearly popped out of their sockets before he looked away, trying to focus on anything but his little sister's best friends's very large breasts.

"For heaven's sake Midna, put your shirt back on!"

"What's the matter, Sheik?" she asked innocently, a hand settling on her hip.

"Okay, okay! You've made your point!" he grabbed the tee shirt that lay discarded from before his workout and put in on. Midna smiled smugly as she left the room, her t-shirt slung over her shoulder, dangling from a finger.

"Goodnight." she said sweetly, disappearing into Zelda's room.

Zelda finally finished laughing, a wide grin settling on her face. Nothing like a pair of big blue breasts to put someone in their place, she figured.

"How does she dance with those?" Sheik asked in a stage whisper and Zelda promptly threw a pillow at his head.

...SCM...


	3. Pepper Spray

_**Hello readers and lurkers! This chapter is completely rewritten and I sincerely hope you enjoy it! Thanks to everyone who reviewed, and to my beta SomewhereOnlySheKnows for being there to me to brainstorm with. I don't own Legend of Zelda but you knew that didn't you? Sheesh I hate disclaimers. **_

_**Love,**_

_**Miss Ashlynn  
**_

* * *

**She Can Move**

**Chapter Three: I Threatened You With Pepper Spray Because I Secretly Find You Attractive  
**

Zelda and Midna's walk home from the dance studio was a leisurely stroll through Central Park. The duo walked side by side, duffels slung over their shoulders and sneakers crunching on the gravel path.

The mismatched pair had what you might call, a history, one that went all the way back to the first day of first grade when a spirited Twili girl claimed the empty desk beside a six year old Zelda. She had smiled, introduced herself, and boldly proclaimed that from that moment forward they would be best friends. And she'd been right. Sure, Zelda had been a little confused at first, but the little girl quickly grew to adore her new best friend and the mismatched pair were inseparable from then on. That very same year they started ballet classes together. The two little girls eventually grew into teenagers. Midna's temper scared off the mean popular girls and Zelda helped the Twili girl in math... and science... and english, since Midna was never very enthused about school. Even into adulthood they looked out for one another, defended one another and supported one another. Their friendship grew so close that they were, for all intents and purposes: sisters.

Considering their history, Zelda supposed she knew Midna better than anyone else did which is why she was so disappointed in herself for not noticing it sooner. Instead, the realization had hit her this morning when she and Midna were talking casually as they stretched. The subject of Sheik had come up, and Zelda just knew by the look on her best friends face...

At some point, Zelda concluded, Midna had developed a crush on Sheik. Zelda smiled evilly to herself just thinking about it. _Midna_ had a _crush_ on her _brother_!

Midna gave her friend a sideways glance.

"You're awfully quiet." she commented. "Are you nervous over the demonstration?"

Zelda shook her head no.

"This isn't the first time I've done a demonstration with Sheik." she reminded the taller woman.

"Then what's up?" Midna asked, briefly closing her eyes to enjoy the gentle breeze on her face.

Zelda wanted to ask why Midna hadn't told her about her crush, but the time didn't seem right. Maybe there was a reason she'd kept her feelings to herself, and as annoying as that thought was, for right now Zelda decided to let it pass. But that didn't mean she couldn't pull some strings in the meantime, you know, just to get the ball rolling...

"Zelda?"

Zelda snapped to attention. She needed to change the subject and quick.

"I had a dream last night." It wasn't a lie; Zelda often had vivid dreams, some of which were so odd she had to write them down. She had a notebook half full of odd dreams she'd recorded currently sitting at the bottom of her closet.

"What about?"

"I dreamt about a mysterious man." Zelda tilted her head, trying to remember. "We were walking through a beautiful garden and it was nighttime." The garden had been absolutely stunning, magical even.

"Was he good-looking?" Midna asked.

"That's the weird part, I can barely remember any details about him. Everything about the dream was kind of fuzzy. I can remember looking directly at him in my dream too, but I can't seem to envision what his face looked like."

"Did you notice anything else about him?"

Zelda furrowed her brow, racking her brain.

"He was tall." she offered. "And his shirt was green... and he was wearing a hat."

"That's still quite nondescript." Midna commented with a wry smile. "Almost like your description of your ideal guy which was surprisingly vague when it came to physical traits you find attractive."

Zelda furrowed her brow; she hadn't thought of that.

"Huh. I guess you're right." she said with a shrug.

"Maybe..." Midna hedged carefully. "the abscence of purple in your dream is your subconscious' way of telling you that you're not meant to be with Vaati."

Zelda rolled her eyes. Again with the Vaati bashing...

* * *

_KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK_

Dark stared blankly at his cousin's bedroom door after knocking a second time. He paused, listening for any signs of life, but heard nothing.

"Link are you awake?" Dark called, his voice carrying through the quiet apartment.

Hearing nothing, the raven haired cousin frowned and tried the doorknob, relieved to find it unlocked. He opened the door and glanced inside not at all surprised to find Link hunched over his turntables staring intently at his laptop. Link's room was, after all, basically a studio with a bed in the corner. No wonder he hand't answered his door, Dark thought upon noticing the earphones his cousin wore.

Dark had been keeping a close eye on Link since he returned from his coffee date newly broken up and surprisingly okay with it. Dark himself was overjoyed; words couldn't describe the happiness Dark felt when given the news that Link had broken up with Her Majesty. What did _that_ say about the amount of grief Malon caused them over the years- that at hearing the news of the breakup the normally subdued Hero cousin had to resist the urge to sing delightedly from the rooftops?

Link's hands stilled when he sensed Dark behind him. Looking over his shoulder he saw his cousin leaning in the doorway, just watching.

"Hey, Man." Link greeted, pushing his headphones off his ears to rest around his neck. "How long have you been standing there? It's kinda creepy, Man."

"Just checking on you." Dark replied with a shrug. "You've been in here all morning and I was beginning to think you'd died in here."

Link smirked.

"Way to jump to conclusions." he commented and Dark gave a lazy huff of laughter.

"So... feel like going to check out the Festival with me?" Dark asked.

Link's brows knit together as he powered down his computer.

"_You_ want to go to the festival?" he asked, closing the laptop. It was an odd invitation coming from Dark as crowds had always made his cousin uncomfortable.

"Not really, but we ran out of food and necessity dictates I find something edible before my stomach starts consuming itself."

Link nodded in understanding. Yes, the tantalizing smell of mexican food wafting through the windows had been tempting him as well, but he'd gotten sidetracked with his music.

"Also, Aryll told me not to let you become a lump." Dark added as an afterthought. He smirked when Link paused and gave him a flat look."Those are her words not mine. She also said that if there's one thing she knows about you, it's that you'll think about stuff and find a way to blame everything that went wrong in your relationship on yourself. So she wants me to take you out or something and I've decided to heed her advice."

"I can't believe you called Gram and Aryll." Link shook his head as he went back to straightening up his workspace.

"I had to tell them the good news." Dark replied. "They were thrilled by the way."

"As thrilled as you were?" Link asked pointedly.

"_Nobody_ was as thrilled as I was." was Dark's reply and Link smiled ironically.

"You just rid yourself of a mortal enemy." Link said sarcastically. "Congratulations."

"_I _should be congratulating _you_. You're finally free." his cousin responded, pushing off the doorframe. "I just have to grab my wallet and then we can go." With that he disappeared down the hall.

Alone again, Link tiredly rubbed his face with his hands, immediately noticing he needed to shave. Looking down he realized he was wearing the same shirt and jeans from yesterday and that his left big toe was poking out through a hole in his sock. He snorted at the irony. If his little sister were here to see this she'd be furious. He was, after all, doing exactly what she said he would – being a lump.

That hadn't been his intention of course, but Malon had sent him a string of angry text messages last night talking about how mean he had been and how he would never amount to anything, effectively making him feel like a complete loser which was quite the accomplishment since Link was a pretty confident guy most days. But if he had to be completely honest, he did feel bad about the way things had turned out between them. His actions had been out of character, he admitted as he slipped his shirt off revealing his lean, bronzed torso, but they'd been the result of extreme stress and frustration -literally years worth. Wasn't that a valid excuse?

Link tossed the old shirt into his laundry pile (rather laundry mountain, he noticed much to his chagrin) and crossed the room to his dresser. Malon's later messages evolved from sounding mostly angry to almost contrite, or as contrite as a person could sound via text message. He hoped she wasn't going to want to get back together. That ship had most certainly sailed... He opened a drawer, took the first t-shirt he saw and threw it on over his head.

"Ready?" Dark asked reappearing in the doorway.

"Let's go."

"Nice socks."

"Shut up."

* * *

Colorful paper ornaments dangled above the cobblestone roadways of Old Castle Town, and whoever was in charge of decorations must've been proud for not one lamppost was barren of streamers. The party was in full-swing in the art district; the streets were filled with music and people were everywhere, frequenting shops and listening to the bands.

It wasn't the most prominent spot at the Festival but the moderately sized stage and display advertising the Red Dragon Karate Dojo was conveniently placed by a smattering of food vendors which served to be an advantage in itself. A small crowd had already gathered, people young and old curiously eyeing the barefoot men wearing white gi. Midna sat with Kafei and Anju on a nearby curb surrounded by shopping bags, digging into festival fare.

"Good afternoon ladies and gentleman. My name is Sheik Harkinian, I am a fifth degree black belt and I am one of five instructors at Red Dragon Karate." Sheik said. The elder Harkinian proudly wore his black belt and gi, looking quite handsome in the traditional karate garb. He stood tall, his expression stoic and spoke confidently, completely unfazed by the large crowd. He went on to relate some statistics on crime against women, highlighting the value of learning self-defense.

Midna couldn't help but admire him in that moment. She loved Sheik's self confidence and strength; sometimes he seemed nearly unbreakable. Her blood red eyes traveled to Zelda who was watching from the sidelines waiting to be invited on stage, all the while smiling like she was a contestant in the Miss Hyrule pageant. Midna noticed when her eyes suddenly seemed to trail away from her brother, and she looked vaguely perturbed. Wondering what she'd seen, the Twili girl followed her gaze and immediately frowned.

Toward the front of the crowd stood Mikau and Vaati, the former paying rapt attention to the demonstration, and the latter hitting on the bimbo standing beside him. Midna's jaw tightened. She looked back to Zelda, who had looked away, yet her smile had dimmed considerably. Hopefully Zelda would get over him soon, since he certainly didn't deserve her attention.

"Today me and my lovely assistant, Zelda, are going to demonstrate some easy self-defense maneuvers that women can perform if grabbed." Sheik was saying and Zelda was beside him by the end of his sentence.

"Zelda looks so small standing next to Sheik up there." Kafei chuckled from behind his half-eaten burrito and Midna smirked, silently agreeing. Even with her chunky-heeled sandals, she stood much shorter than her brother, her ruthless "assailant".

"She always looks so pretty." Anju sighed before frowning thoughtfully. She eyed the flouncy little skirt Zelda had worn. "Though I hope she doesn't end up giving everyone an eyeful wearing that outfit."

"She has shorts on underneath it." Midna replied through a mouthful. Her best friend looked the very definition of a defenseless young woman. The idea of a woman her size being able to fend off an attacker of Sheik's physique seemed unrealistic at best, but Midna supposed that was the whole point of the demonstration- to show that quick thinking and preparedness could save a woman's life. It occurred to her that Zelda had deliberately dressed like she was going out instead of wearing shorts and a tee-shirt which would have been much easier to fight in. It made sense, though, as an attacker may target a young woman in such attire, if only because her footwear could hinder her escape.

By now, Sheik was having Zelda demonstrate the moves in slow motion as he explained her movements. He had approached her and grabbed her wrist, pulling her toward him. Sheik explained that instead of trying to resist, she should use their connection to her advantage. Zelda did just that, clasping her elbow straight forward into his chest, gently of course.

"The most sensitive areas of the body are the eyes, the throat, the groin and the knees." Sheik said authoritatively. "Since Zelda is much shorter than me she's better off aiming for my throat."

Zelda executed a swift - yet fake- strike to her brother's throat.

"She can now execute another jab with her elbow to my chest. This time she'll attempt to turn me aside from her with the action."

Zelda did just that and Sheik let himself be pushed out of the way.

"Now she could also add a kick in the beginning before the elbow jab." Sheik said, and Zelda demonstrated, pulling their connected arms up and bringing her foot to his ribs.

"Alright very good. Now we'll demonstrate full speed and remember: make noise. Scream and make as much noise as possible because drawing attention to your situation can and will discourage your attacker."

With that Zelda and Sheik stepped back from each other, only to come forward again simulating how pedestrians walk past each other on the street. Sheik's hand shot out to grab Zelda's wrist and instantly she pulled their connected arms up to deliver a swift kick to his ribs, then clasped her elbow straight forward into his chest, followed quickly by a strike to his throat and another jab to his chest with her elbow, screaming for help the entire time.

Across the crowd, Link jumped out of his skin nearly dropping his tacos when he heard the scream. Whipping around in a panic, he came face to chest with a very large and muscular Goron man who swore violently as his bowl of chili spilled down his bulbous stomach.

"DAMN IT THAT'S HOT!" the man hollered, his hands frantically hovering above the piping hot mess covering his shirt. He glared at Link, who caught sight of the Red Dragon Karate exhibit over his shoulder. That was the direction the screaming had come from. He needed to see her!

"What the hell is wrong with you?! Do you ever look where you're going ya skinny punk?!" The large man was furious his anger nearly palpable.

"Sorry bout that, but I'm kinda in a hurry..." Link explained distractedly, pulling out his wallet and grabbing a few bills. He shoved the money at the large man, hastily apologizing before hightailing it out of there.

He desperately wanted to get a look at the woman who'd screamed; for some reason he just needed to see her. He didn't know why and he didn't particularly care why at the moment. All he wanted was to see her face. Link cut through the crowd surrounding the Red Dragon Exhibition, making his way toward the stage.

"That son of a bitch only gave me six dollars!" the Goron man could be heard in the distance, but Link had already forgotten the incident, his thoughts racing. He was halfway to the stage when he saw her; she was standing with her back to a blonde man when he grabbed her shoulder from behind. Instantly letting out a cry, she turned, throwing her arm around his and grasping him firmly to lock his arm. Her other hand flew up to his face simulating a jab. Link shuddered; once again her cry for help had reverberated through his entire being as if she were calling out directly to him. Where in the world did he know her from?

"Very good." Sheik told Zelda, pride in his eyes. Breaking away he looked to audience again, continuing his monologue. "Now we'll demonstrate what she can do if I grab her hair from behind."

Zelda readied herself, turning her back to him again and as she did her eyes seemed to raise of their own accord. Her breath caught in her throat when she locked eyes with a handsome young man looking right at her. He looked so familiar... especially his eyes... Where had she seen that face before? Zelda was torn from her thoughts when Sheik grabbed her by the hair, and grabbing her own hair to lessen the pressure, she turned and slapped his arm away forcing him to release her hair, kicked him in the side of the knee and jabbed up at his throat.

"Excellent." Sheik grinned. With that, the crowd broke out in applause.

Zelda glanced back to where she'd seen the handsome man just moments before, but apparently he had gone.

A few minutes later...

Midna and Anju stood from the curb when Zelda approached. Anju in all her eager excitement rushed forward to embrace the petite woman, singing her praises all the while. Zelda endured the onslaught as Kafei and Midna looked on in amusement.

Sheik joined them shortly thereafter, having changed into street clothes, and the friends decided to check out some of the bands. Kafei suggested they go to Center Square; he'd overheard people raving about a band playing there. The others readily agreed, and soon they were off in search of some good music.

Zelda ignored the fact that Vaati, who was still flirting with the buxom woman she'd seen him with earlier, declined the invitation to join them. Instead, she wondered about the man she had seen and where she'd his face before.

Meanwhile, Link had gone off to meet up with Dark. The cousins had split with the intentions of going to separate food stands, agreeing to meet up after fifteen minutes.

"Ready to head home?" Dark asked, standing up from an empty bench.

"I think I'm going to walk around a bit." Link replied.

Dark had looked at him strangely, but didn't ask questions much to Link's relief.

Now, as he went along with the current of the crowd headed to Central Square, Link reminded himself that he was not following the girl with the intent of getting a phone number or anything romantic in nature. After all, he'd just broken up with Malon and it seemed wrong to take an interest in another woman so quickly. No, he was simply trying to figure out why she looked so familiar to him and where he knew her from. He reasoned that if he didn't figure it out, it would drive him crazy later on, and he certainly couldn't risk anything distracting him from his music.

The group of friends arrived in Central Square, which Zelda noted, seemed to be the center of the festivities. The largest band at the festival was stationed here and a multitude of people were standing around the stage or sitting beside the large fountain, listening. Kafei asked Anju to dance and the two of them took off for the dance floor.

"Dance with me?" Sheik appeared beside her, holding out his hand. Zelda perked; she had been excited to dance all day, but right then Zelda noticed the barely imperceptible slouch of the Twili girls' shoulders. Was she disappointed that Sheik didn't ask her to dance? Thinking quickly, Zelda crafted a plan.

"Actually, I wanted to run back to a store we were in earlier before they close." Zelda told her brother smoothly. "I keep thinking about this one thing I saw and I want to see if it's still there."

Zelda was a terrible liar, Sheik thought raising a skeptical brow which was noted by the petite blonde yet she continued on in her deception nonplussed.

"I'll only be a few minutes, but why don't you dance with Midna?"

"Be careful." Sheik told Zelda sternly. Not missing a beat he looked at Midna and said. "Wanna dance?"

Zelda took off in a random direction, trying to look like she had a store in mind. After going a safe distance she discreetly glanced back at the dance floor to admire her handiwork. Sheik and Midna were dancing now along with several other couples. They were talking and Sheik said something that seemed to make Midna laugh. Zelda smiled. Now to figure out a destination so as not to arouse suspicion. Looking up she caught sight of Hyrule Castle, the flags billowing elegantly in the wind atop the steep towers. Perhaps she'd go admire the castle for a few minutes.

Deciding to do just that, Zelda headed for Hyrule Castle, the crowds thinning out considerably until she'd reached the gates that surrounded the Castle grounds. Zelda sighed wistfully, the grounds were so well manicured and the building itself was stunning. It was a very impressive structure complete with moat and drawbridge, just like something out of a storybook. She hadn't been to Hyrule Castle since her fifth grade field trip, but she remembered it to be a very exciting experience. Something about the ancient structure filled her with such a wonderful nostalgia.

She was startled by the sound of a shoe scuffing against the pavement; Suddenly quite aware of her isolation from other festival-goers, Zelda nonchalantly reached into her purse and located her mace.

Link wanted to crawl under a bench and die when he tripped over his own foot. He'd planned it all out- a suave approach complete with dashing smile, and he went and ruined it all with his spaziness. God's he was an idiot!

At that moment she turned to look at him.

_Her blue eyes danced with glee as she looked back at him, her bright blonde hair blowing gently in the breeze._

Link was suddenly finding it hard to breathe.

Zelda blinked, surprised and secretly thrilled to find the handsome man from earlier standing only a few yards away.

"Are you alright?" she asked. He was just standing there, looking at her.

"Yeah..." Link replied scratching his neck sheepishly. "It's my first day with my new feet." he added, pleased when she laughed in response.

This was followed by ten seconds of staring. Link finally shook off his weirdness and walked up to her, standing beside her at the fence and looking in.

"Beautiful view isn't it?" he asked without looking at her. "I come here all the time."

"It sure is." Zelda agreed. She wondered if he was planning on introducing himself. Should she?

"I'm Zelda." she said, turning slightly to offer him a hand.

A lopsided smile spread across his face as he clasped her hand in his.

"Nice to meet you Zelda, I'm Link." he said. "You know, I actually came over here because you looked so familiar to me but I can't seem to figure out where we've met before."

Zelda's eyes went wide.

"That's so weird because I was thinking the same thing!" she exclaimed.

"Did you go to Ordon High?" Link ventured.

"No I've lived in Castle City most of my life." Zelda frowned studying his face. He had a tanned complexion and angular features that were not at all displeasing, but what really captured her attention were his beautiful dark blue eyes. She loved his eyes.

"Did you go to summer camp at Lake Hylia?" Link asked.

"No..." she furrowed her brow suddenly wondering if he had been one of her customers at Blues. "Have you ever been to Blues Steakhouse? I'm a waitress there."

"Never been there." Link answered with a frown, crossing his arms. "I'm positive I know you from somewhere, but I probably won't think of it until later."

Zelda laughed, tucking a wayward lock of hair behind her ear. An awkward lull in the conversation followed.

"Have you been following me?" Zelda thought out loud, wanting to smack herself when Link raised an eyebrow.

"That's a little conceited don't you think?"

"Well I didn't mean to come off that way, I just saw you earlier and-" The petite blonde went beet red and Link laughed.

"Actually I did kind of follow you..." he admitted. "but not in a creepy way."

"How is that not creepy?" Zelda asked, but her grin took the edge off her words. "For a second I was getting ready to use my mace!"

Link's eyes widened as she presented said mace, firmly grasped in her hand. He took a step back, just in case, furrowing his brow when he noticed that her mace was _pink_ and attached to a dangly keychain.

"I didn't think I looked that unsavory." he said.

"Well you don't," Zelda replied with a shrug. "But for all I knew you could be a pervert looking to get an up-skirt photo with your cell phone."

Link let out a bark of laughter, imagining this slip of a girl spraying some punk in the eyes for trying to get a picture up her skirt.

"I don't think anyone who saw the demonstration earlier would mess with you."

Zelda grinned, but her smile faltered when she realized she should be getting back to Sheik and the others before they worried. Darn it, she was really enjoying this back and forth with Link.

"Well I kind of have to get going." she said. "My brother and friends are waiting for me."

Link didn't want her to go, but with the waning conversation there was really no reason for them to be standing together just staring at one another.

"Oh, alright..." Link said.

"It was nice to meet you, Link." Zelda smiled. "Maybe I'll see you around?"

"Yeah. See you around."

Zelda started to walk away when her thoughts went back to her and Midna's conversation about their ideal men. How could she just walk away from Link, when he could in fact be the one?! She turned back towards him, encouraged to find him still watching her. That must be a good sign right?

"Hey, would you wanna go get a coffee sometime?" Zelda asked him. "Or maybe drinks?"

Link looked crestfallen.

"I'm so sorry Zelda..." he began, hating himself when her hopeful expression fell. "but I just got out of a relationship. Yesterday, actually, and I just don't-"

"No, no that's fine." the petite woman interjected, beyond embarrassed. "I had to at least ask instead of just leaving because I was talking with my friend about how I haven't had a boyfriend in ages-" she gesticulated madly in her nervousness. "-and afterward I thought about it and figured it had to be cause I don't put myself out there you know and I figured no better time to start then the present and oh my god I'm rambling aren't I? Just...just forget I asked okay?" she laughed through her mortification and gave an awkward little bow that was completely inappropriate and she had no idea what possessed her to do it.

Hastily repeating her farewells, Zelda took off back for the Central Square and in that moment Link couldn't shake the feeling that he'd let something or rather someone, very special slip away. He let her go, just the same, however, watching as she disappeared into the crowds and supposedly out of his life.

* * *

A stones throw away from where the lone man stood, three maidens sat at a table in front of a small cafe. No one seemed to notice them, or actually see them at all for if they did surely they would have noticed their ethereal beauty and inhuman appearance.

One of the women, the lady adorned with flowing silken robes of deepest blue, did not look very happy at all.

"If one didn't know better," her red-headed sister condescended from across the table. "One would believe you to be upset over something. Did your carefully constructed plan not play out as you'd hoped?"

"Will somebody please explain to me why we're letting her walk away?" The green haired sister who sat between them spoke up.

"Yes Sister, wasn't this the whole point of this meeting? To bring them together?" the red haired lady remarked.

The third maiden regarded the other two with intelligent indigo eyes.

"They may have parted, but they will meet again. Look at him. He still wonders about her. He will not be able to let this go."

"I still do not see the point in this." the red sister said. "After all, Hyrule is safe. There is no need to meddle in human affairs."

"Then tell me your excuse for your champions' rise to greatness." the wise sister retorted. "Do you relinquish all credit for his success?"

When the red woman didn't reply the blue sister smiled smugly, knowing she'd cornered her.

"In the future you would be wise to refrain from comment concerning our dealings with mortals." she said, turning her attention back to Link who was gazing at the castle wistfully.

"I have to admit, I'm worried." The green maiden said.

"These things take time." the blue sister replied, soothingly. "He has what he needs to find her again."

"Remember sisters," she murmured, her eyes faraway. "We made a promise."

...SCM...

* * *

_**What did you think? Please review and look for an update in two weeks! I really love my readers, and I'm doing my best to update quickly, but the story is changing this time around so that affects the time it takes to rewrite. Thanks for reading!  
**_


	4. Friends

_**Hey everyone! Chapter four is here, completely rewritten. The old story has been erased just FYI, so this is the one and only She Can Move. Thanks to everyone who reviewed last chapter! Enjoy and please review if you like this fic!  
**_

_**Love,**_

_**Miss Ashlynn**_

* * *

_**She Can Move Redux**_

_**Written By: Miss Ashlynn**_

_**Beta'd By: SomewhereOnlySheKnows**_

_**Disclaimer: I Do Not Own Legend of Zelda**_

**_She Can Move_  
**

_**Chapter Four: Friends**_

After an action packed day filled with hand-to-hand combat, handsome strangers, and finally dancing in Central Square 'til she was obliged to remove her shoes, Zelda was happy to be home. After Sheik's last demonstration, the friends took the Metro home and picked up some Chinese food for dinner.

"Dinner is served." Zelda proclaimed, setting the plastic bag on the coffee table. She watched in amusement as her friends swarmed over the boxes of takeout. Well, her male friends, she privately amended. And Midna, she added as a sharp smack resounded through the room when she swatted at Vaati's hand – the consequences of him trying to take the wrong box of food. Remembering how messy the boys could get, Zelda turned on her heel to retrieve the paper towels.

"I'm going to sleep really well tonight..." Sheik was saying as he fell back on the couch with his container of orange chicken. Vaati and Mikau scooted over to give him more room.

"So would you say the presentations were a success?" Kafei asked from across the coffee table. He and Anju sat close to one another, occasionally tasting each others' food.

"Definitely." Sheik replied. "We went through a whole box of information pamphlets and we signed four new students right there at the booth."

"Any women?" Midna asked.

"Yeah." Sheik answered. "A woman and a young girl."

"Way to go, Zelda!" Midna called into the kitchen. Zelda wore a puzzled expression as she emerged from the kitchen with a roll of paper towels.

"What was that?" she asked.

"Two females signed up for martial arts lessons after the demonstration. Inspired by your amazing performance I'm sure."

Zelda grinned. It wasn't because of her that two girls had joined the Red Dragon Dojo of course, but it was sweet that Midna thought so. The blonde grabbed the remaining box of food from the coffee table and sat beside Midna in the over-sized armchair.

"You guys are gonna get a ton of phone calls." Mikau was saying and Sheik nodded.

"That's what we're hoping for. All the pamphlets had the Dojo's number and website on it." he said.

The conversation continued around her but Zelda was already zoning out. She stirred her food absentmindedly, her thoughts a jumbled mess. She couldn't stop thinking about what a bumbling idiot she had been when she asked Link out and found herself wishing she could go back in time to stop herself. The truth of the matter was, Zelda did not handle rejection well. Many would be surprised to learn that the sweet and compassionate blonde had never really had good self-esteem.

What the heck was she doing in the entertainment industry, she often wondered, and in the dance world no less where you were always being compared to others and always under intense scrutiny? It was her love for the ballet and sheer determination alone that made her endure as long as she had. With the exception of Midna, no one she had started dancing with as a young girl had persevered in their dreams of dancing professionally.

Nevertheless, even on her best days Zelda would never have the guts to ask a perfect stranger out on a date. It didn't matter how good looking or funny or friendly he was. So what had gotten into her earlier? She had acted completely out of character.

"Is everything alright, Zelda?" Anju's sweet voice asked from across the room. "You're so quiet..."

Zelda suppressed a cringe. She had absolutely no intentions of telling her nosy friends about her awkward fail earlier with Link. It was a little thing called self-preservation. Besides, she'd prefer to lick her wounds in private instead of making the incident a topic of group discussion! Looking up she smiled her best fake smile.

"I'm fine." the blonde assured everyone. "Just a little tired but that's nothing a good night sleep won't fix."

Sheik narrowed his eyes, unconvinced, but decided to let it go until they could talk privately. Maybe when their friends left.

"So I saw a flyer for a new club opening up this Thursday." Vaati said to everybody, but his eyes lingered on Zelda. "We should go."

"Oooh! We haven't been clubbing in a while!" Anju cried to Kafei who nodded.

"Sounds fun." the blue haired man offered.

"I'm in. I don't think I'm working." Sheik said with a shrug.

Mikau said something too but he had so much in his mouth that he was impossible to understand and he spewed food everywhere. "Dude!" Vaati cried with a look of disgust on his face. "You spat half a mouthful on me! Just for that you're uninvited!"

Mikau rolled his eyes, mumbling something akin to an apology as Vaati reached for the paper towels.

"Zel and I are in." Midna said, her eyes still on her meal.

"Unless I get a hot date in between now and then..." Zelda muttered with a pout.

The Twili girl let out a laugh, patting her friend on the back. Across the room, Vaati watched the exchange, his annoyance melting away leaving only intrigue. So Zelda was looking for a boyfriend?

Sheik noticed the way Vaati watched his sister, his grip on his chopsticks tightening.

* * *

A few hours later when their friends had left the house, Zelda stood at the kitchen sink washing the dinner dishes. Though she enjoyed having time to herself occasionally, Zelda generally tried to avoid deep introspection. When she was alone with her thoughts she tended to ruminate and dwell on depressing things. This was one of many reasons Zelda was happy Midna spent so much time at their apartment. Her presence was a welcome distraction.

Sheik walked in from the living room, reaching in front of her legs to pull open the cabinet door. Zelda wordlessly moved so he could access the garbage under the sink, offering a tight smile instead of words when their eyes met.

The Harkinian siblings had a unique relationship. Both Sheik and Zelda had been forced to grow up fast; both their mother and father were gone by the time Zelda was fourteen. There were times when they'd only had each other, and that served to make them very close. Sheik supposed that they could tell each other anything and so it was deeply troubling that Zelda lied to him earlier. What could possibly be so bad that she didn't feel like she could talk to him about it?

"So did you find whatever it was you were looking for?" Sheik asked nonchalantly, leaning against the counter top.

"Hm?" Zelda pretended not to hear him, directing all her attention to the dish she scrubbed.

"At the festival you said you were going to check out some shop..." Sheik prompted, crossing his arms.

"Oh yeah." Zelda fumbled. "They didn't have what I was looking for."

Sheik frowned.

"What exactly were you looking for?" he questioned.

"It was a little coin purse." Zelda answered smoothly. Where she got that from, she had no idea. The blonde give him a sideways glance. "What's with all the questions, Sheik?"

"I'm just a little confused because I was watching where you went off to and there are only restaurants and cafes in that direction." Sheik commented. His words hung in the air.

Her hands hit the bottom of the sink with a clunk and she slouched in defeat. Time to come clean.

Grabbing a clean dishtowel she presented it to Sheik with a smile.

"I'll wash and you dry."

Zelda washed and rinsed a dish before handing it to Sheik. Idly wondering how he got roped into this, he took the dish and started drying it.

"I've been doing a lot of thinking..." Zelda began.

"About?" the elder Harkinian placed the clean dish in the cabinet just in time to presented with another freshly rinsed dish.

"Deep things." Zelda grinned.

Sheik sighed. Sometimes getting Zelda's true thoughts was like pulling teeth, time consuming and painful... but he would be patient.

"Such as..."

"Well, for one I've been wondering why my wonderful, handsome brother doesn't have a significant other."

Sheik quirked a brow.

"Where is this coming from and what does this have to do with you lying to me?"

"Just indulge me for a minute will you? Seriously, why don't you have a girlfriend, Sheik? You're an attractive guy, and kind and talented. And it's not like you haven't had girls after you. At clubs you get swarmed all the time."

Sheik didn't answer right away and Zelda glanced at her brother who looked thoughtful as she rinsed the suds from a mug.

"Is this really what's been on your mind?" he finally asked.

"One of many things." Zelda answered. "Right now this is most forthcoming."

"Well I really don't know what to say." he admitted. "I guess I'm just so busy with work... and then add dance to that... I guess I don't have time for a woman. Plus, I never seem to find the right girl."

Zelda swallowed.

"Well... what about Midna?" she asked.

There was a pregnant silence so intense that Zelda swore she overheard the little family of mice that lived in their kitchen wall sitting down at their mini dining room table for a late supper.

"Midna Shadow?"

"Yeah. What do you think about her?"

Realization dawned on Sheik as if a lightbulb had turned on.

"This is why you went off like that earlier.." Sheik finally said, putting two and two together. "You wanted me to dance with Midna and then what, fall in love?" he asked incredulously.

"I may have made up an excuse to disappear for a few minutes..." Zelda trailed off.

"And to think I was so worried because I knew you were lying to me." he muttered shaking his head.

"You were worried about me?" Zelda asked. Awww, she loved her big brother...

"Yeah. You haven't been yourself lately and then when you just took off with some lame excuse I didn't know what to think..." Sheik admitted.

Zelda chose to skim over the comment about her not being herself, as that would lead to a conversation she wasn't interested in having at the moment.

"Just hear me out about this, Sheik. Midna would be perfect for you. Forget about her as my best friend since forever. If you met her at a club or something for the first time, what would you think about her?"

Sheik didn't reply as he dried another cup.

"I'm not trying to make you uncomfortable, I just think you've been missing someone that's been right in front of you."

When it became clear that Sheik wasn't going to speak she continued.

"She's pretty don't you think? And smart and so loyal. She would never intentionally hurt you, Sheik. And she's real, you know? She doesn't play games. Hasn't that always been important to you? She has a great sense of humor and you two have so much in common..."

Sheik wore a soft smile and Zelda grinned, knowing he was thinking about it.

"She's perfect, Sheik."

"Well if you like her so much why don't you date her?" he chuckled. Now that all the dishes clean and put away, Zelda rinsed the sink.

"Sheik I'm serious. Maybe you've just never looked at her that way before because she's friends with your little sister, but in case you haven't noticed, I'm not so little anymore and neither is she."

"I don't know..." he said. "Besides, wouldn't that be awkward for you? I mean, she's your best friend." Zelda smiled at this remark. His question told her that he was now seriously considering it.

"I don't think it would be weird at all." Zelda answered, turning to face him.

The elder Harkinian nodded.

"I love you Sheik." she added softly, pulling him into a hug.

"Love you too, Zel. Have a good night."

Zelda smiled and told him the same before heading off to bed. Sheik draped the dishtowel over the side of the sink and turned out the kitchen lights.

Sheik passed through the living room, checking the door to be sure it was locked and dead-bolted before trudging down the hall. The bathroom door was open, the light spilling into the dark hallway and Midna stood at the sink brushing her teeth. When she noticed him she smiled around her toothbrush.

"I'm almost finished if you needed to get in here." The Twili woman said.

"Thanks." Sheik replied, quickly continuing on to his room. He had a lot to think about.

In Zelda's room, Zelda lay facing the wall and felt the mattress dip when Midna climbed into bed. Being alone in the dark was good for crying, a form of release that Zelda indulged in more than she cared to admit. She prayed that Midna wouldn't try to engage her, for she had begun to cry in the time her friend had been in the bathroom.

"Hey Zelda?" The Twili girl asked, her voice hesitant. This was a side of Midna not many people had the privilege to see.

"What's up?" Zelda asked, not turning over.

"Do you think everything's okay with Sheik? He was acting weird just now."

Zelda smiled to herself, the crinkling of her eyes causing more tears to slip past her lashes.

"I think Sheik has a lot on his mind. But he'll be okay." The blonde answered.

"If you say so." Midna did not sound convinced.

"You know something?"

"Hm?"

"My brother's a catch. He'll make some girl very happy some day."

There was a hesitation, then."Why are you telling me this?"

"Just making conversation."

"Hn. Well goodnight."

"Goodnight, Midna."

Pale fingers kept a white knuckled grip on her pillow as Zelda smiled, despite her tear-filled eyes.

* * *

That night, Zelda dreamed about walking through a beautiful garden, only this time the man accompanying her was definitely Link- the man from the festival.

It was silly, she thought the next day as she traversed the produce section at the market, that she should still be thinking of a random guy she'd met in Old Castle Town. Little did she know, they were about to cross paths again very soon...

In fact, at that very moment Link Hero was only a few blocks away, walking up the sidewalk and feeling dead on his feet. This morning he'd gone to one of his favorite record shops downtown, just to get out of the house. His sister was in town on a impulse trip and had taken over the apartment with her presence.

Link had always been somewhat of a loner. Even as a child he had been rather quiet and withdrawn, a trend that continued through school. Interestingly as he got older, his classmates perceived his mellow personality as "cool" and he became quite possibly the most popular introvert at Ordon High. Of course, Link wasn't an introvert to the extent that his cousin Dark was (Dark found a way to bring his reserved tendencies to a whole new level entirely) but Link was something in between, like an introverted extrovert if you will. That being the case, Link didn't understand why some individuals felt the need to surround themselves with people when life was giving them a particularly awful time. He certainly didn't. Which was why the impromptu visit from his sister, Aryll was completely unnecessary. Last night he had barely stepped into his front door when he got a text from her, asking to be picked up from the bus depot since she was apparently en route. So of course, being the good brother he was, Link picked her up. After all, it was either that or leave her at the Bus Depot to fight the local hobos over a bench to sleep on and honestly, Link feared for the hobos.

He loved Aryll with all his heart, but he had known from the start that her visit was no mere social call. The upbeat girl had confirmed his suspicions herself as he drove them back to the apartment that night. She had clearly said "I made the trip here because I was afraid Malon would manipulate you into getting back together."

It warmed his heart to see his baby sister had such faith in him... She easily thought him the biggest pushover in Hyrule and he told her this.

"It's not that, Link." she'd said. "It's just that you two have broken up and gotten back together so many times... and I guess I was just worried. You're such a nice guy and you deserve to be with someone that makes you happy."

For some reason, Link immediately thought of Zelda, the girl he'd met earlier that day. Even now he had no clue where _that _thought had come from?

"I'm sorry if it seems like I don't have any faith in you, because I assure you nothing could be further from the truth."

"Don't worry about it, Sis." Link said, his eyes staring straight ahead. "Malon and I are definitely over, though I don't know what else I can say to convince you."

Upon their return to the apartment, they'd discovered Dark holed up in the bathroom throwing his guts up. Great timing Aryll, great timing. Then first thing in the morning Link woke up to _Aryll _holed up in the bathroom throwing her guts up.

Great frickin' timing...

Link was still mid rant when she crashed into him. Recognizing her right away, Link smiled genuinely for the first time that morning.

"Jeez, I'm so sorry." Zelda gushed, still not knowing it was him. "I wasn't watching where I was going." Her head whipped up to see who she had bumped into, and Zelda froze, her eyes widening in disbelief.

"No worries..." Link smiled at her amazed expression, feeling quite amazed himself. "Zelda right?"

"Yeah." Zelda nodded. "And you're Link." she added with a self conscious laugh.

"Indeed I am." the tall young man replied. They stood there for a moment, just looking at each other, the wind playing with her long wispy hair. She wore a tee shirt and jean shorts with flip flops and Link was surprised at how petite she really was. He was about 5' 11 and the top of her head barely reached his chin!

"Here let me help you with those.." he said, moving to take the grocery bags that adorned her.

"Wow that's so nice of you..." Zelda gushed as she handed over a few bags.

"Which way are you headed?" Link asked.

"Oh!" Zelda, who had been looking at his tee shirt and cargo short clad body appreciatively, came back to herself, blushing madly.

"This way." she forced her feet to start walking in the direction of the apartment which was only a short walk away.

"So how are you today?" Zelda asked. The blonde had quickly decided to behave as if she had never asked him out. What better way to deal with something uncomfortable than ignore it, right?

"Meh, I've had better days but it's no big deal." he said.

Zelda nodded pleasantly not sure what to say.

"How about yourself?" Link asked.

"So far so good." she replied airily.

"So what have you got here?" Link snuck a peek into one of the bags he carried. "Chicken breasts, ground turkey... hm this must be the meat bag." he mused, shifting to see inside another. "In here we have a whole bunch of vegetables and fruits..."

"I wouldn't have accepted your help if I knew you would be looking through all my groceries!" Zelda gaped, although her smile betrayed her words.

"Where's the junk food?" Link asked. "No potato chips or ice cream?"

"Do you really think I would hand over the bags with the good stuff?" Zelda asked with a laugh.

"I guess you're right. So you will confirm that you bought potato chips at the market?"

"It is highly possible that one of the bags I'm holding contains potato chips." she conceded, grinning at the lopsided smile that took over his face.

Link tilted his head, thinking.

"Is there any chance I'll get to _eat_ any of those potato chips?"

"I think there's a pretty good chance you will." Zelda giggled. She had to be out of her mind, inviting a complete stranger back to her house, but she got good vibes from Link and it was awfully kind of him to offer her help with her groceries. Upon reaching her building, Zelda unlocked the front door and led the way up the narrow staircase.

"Home sweet home." Zelda sang, leading the way through the living room. Link surveyed the apartment with interest. Their front door opened into a spacious living room, comfortably furnished with a large entertainment center. Large windows lined the far wall, revealing a beautiful view of Central Park. Several happy looking potted plants were nestled on the window sill, basking in the sun. Off the living room there was a hallway; Link assumed the bedrooms and bathroom were down there.

"This is a really nice place." He commented

"Thanks. My brother and I have lived here over five years now. You can set those bags on the table there." Zelda told him as they entered the kitchen and he did as he was told. "This place is kind of above our price range, but we make due. My brother's a martial arts instructor so he makes pretty good money, but we also make a good chunk in underground dance battles. Just a few days ago our crew won ten grand."

"Wow. You have a crew?"

"Yeah. Destiny Crew." Zelda said. "We're like a family." The young woman paused, regarding him over her shoulder. "Do you have anywhere you need to be, Link? Or can you stay for lunch?"

Ten minutes later Link was seated at Zelda's kitchen table with a huge spread in front of him. She'd whipped him up a great big sandwich with chips and a pickle on the side, along with an ice cold beer to drink. All the while they chatted amicably, as if they'd been friends forever.

"So what do you do, Link?" Zelda asked, sitting across the table from him. "Are you in college or something?"

"Actually I'm an aspiring DJ." he said. "I used to dance a little on the sides but nothing that paid the bills. In the meantime I have a part time job at a music shop."

"Oooh. Artsy." Zelda commented with a grin and Link laughed.

"Ever since I was a kid I've been passionate about music." he explained. "A few years back I started my own Djing company and I've been sending out demos to all the clubs in Castle City. It's my dream to be the resident Dj at a popular club."

"That's awesome. And good for you for starting your business. That sounds like a lot of work."

"It sure was." Link admitted before adding. "It still is. Just getting my name out there is difficult, and it's frustrating to be turned down."

His words resonated with Zelda more than he knew.

"I know exactly what you mean. I'm training to be a professional ballerina." she confided. "but I was turned down at my first audition for the Castle City Ballet Company. It was a huge blow to my self- confidence. Still, for so many artists and performers it's the fact that they kept trying and working for their dreams even after being discouraged or having setbacks. That's what separates the doers from the dreamers you know?"

"Wow. Did you make that up?"

"What?"

"What separates the doers from the dreamers." Link said.

Zelda grinned impishly.

"No. I probably read it off the back of a Wheaties box." she admitted and Link chuckled before taking a drink of his beer.

It was nice, Link thought. Just sitting and talking here with Zelda. He had no idea what made him start telling Zelda about his breakup, thought. The transition had been seamless, and he'd started venting before he could think to stop himself. It really should've felt weird talking to her about Malon, seeing as she was pretty much a stranger and this was all very personal information. Besides, it wasn't like he had no one to talk to among his family. Aryll had tried to talk to him about it, but somehow it had felt wrong discussing Malon with someone who hated her. It was the same way with Dark. His family was happy that he and Malon were through; they'd never wanted the relationship to work and even though they had valid reasons to feel that way, it still felt wrong talking about Malon with them. Zelda, on the other hand, didn't know him or his ex so she was completely impartial. She listened to him with understanding, occasionally prompting him with questions. Link couldn't help but smirk at the irony that yesterday he'd turned her down to just get coffee together and now he was sitting down to a homemade lunch at her own apartment? This was way more personal than going to some cafe and making idle chit chat for half an hour.

"My ex is from a really wealthy family," Link explained. "And she's always wanted me to join the family company,"

"What do they do?" Zelda asked.

"They own a chain of health food stores." Link replied. "Malon talked to her dad who basically handed me a job on a silver platter, but I couldn't imagine being another corporate suit, working to build someone elses dream. The thought of being stuck in that life terrified me."

Zelda frowned, taking it all in.

"A professional DJ at a club could make just as much as some corporate executive. Did you tell your ex that?" she asked

"No. But I don't think that's even what the real issue is. Malon- uh her name was Malon, my ex... she had no interest in my music. Plus, she never had to pay her dues, you know? She never had to start from the bottom and shed blood, sweat and tears to reach her goals. She had everything handed to her so it was hard for her to understand."

Zelda nodded.

"She couldn't see past who I was now and what I could become, you know?"

"What's wrong with who you are now?"

Link paused.

"You seem like a nice guy to me." Zelda said, refusing to blush. She was just being nice after all, and it seemed like Link took a lot of garbage from this Malon woman.

"There's nothing wrong with two people admitting that they're incompatible; that their lives are going in different directions and that things just aren't working out. In fact, good for you for being strong enough to be honest." Zelda couldn't help but think about her situation with Vaati. No, she wasn't in a relationship with the handsome man, but she'd harbored feelings for him despite the fact they were obviously incompatible. "Sure, it was unpleasant, but it took a lot of strength to speak your mind and you should be proud of yourself." she concluded. "I wish I could be more like that..."

Link stared at her in wonder.

"I'm so glad I ran into you today." he said.

Zelda let out a surprised laugh.

"And why is that?" she asked.

"Because I was feeling so guilty, Zelda, and now I'm sure I made the right choice." Link answered, raising his beer. "To you." he toasted.

"To new friends." Zelda added with a grin, raising her beer and clinking it against his.

Conversation came easy for Link and Zelda and their chatter persisted way after they'd finished their lunches. At length, Link had to take his leave and he said so.

"Hey why don't you give me your phone number and we can hang out again sometime." he asked, hoping she wouldn't be weirded out by the request.

"I'd like that." Zelda replied with a surprised smile. Of course she didn't want to get carried away and assume he meant hanging out, like on a date,. Surely he meant to hang out as friends. They had so much in common and although Zelda couldn't help but feel a little uncomfortable that he had literally _**just**_ broken up with his girlfriend, she let it pass.

After exchanging numbers they said their goodbyes and Link left, the wide smile on his face clear for all to see.

"What took you so long?" A pathetic looking Aryll asked from the couch as Link entered the and Dark were sitting on the couch miserably, flanked by wastebaskets and twin bottles of ginger ale. She must really be feeling crappy, Link reasoned, as she was still in her pajamas and his usually put-together sister detested doing nothing.

"Sorry about that." Link answered. "I lost track of time."

"Do you think he went to see Malon?" Aryll asked her couch companion once Link left the room.

Dark mumbled something unintelligible, not bothering even to open his eyes, and the young woman pouted. She would get to the bottom of this.

* * *

Place: Media City, Termina

Location: Media Towers apartment complex

The apartment was quiet accept for the buzz of the tv, dark save for the bright screen and the glow of the streetlights outside the window.

"We interrupt your regularly scheduled programming with a breaking news report out of Media City, Termina." The sole inhabitant of the tiny apartment stood before the television set giving her undivided attention to the news report.

"The manhunt is on for the perpetrator of what police believe to be a sniper assassination. Beloved businessman and philanthropist Darmani Stone III was reportedly shot while standing in his own home, even as his family ate dinner in the other room." The screen cut to a shot of a shattered window in the side of a huge condo complex. "Mr Stone, who was well known throughout Termina for his charitable work, was only fifty-eight years old and was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics. Media City Police Chief Emblem is about to make a statement at a press conference called just moments ago."

The newscast then switched to a live-feed of the press conference, where Police chief Emblem was standing behind a podium, a bunch of different brightly colored microphones before him, one from every news station.

"This evening, at approximately 8 pm, paramedics received a distress call from Mrs. Stone, saying that they'd found Mr Stone laying on the floor non-responsive and that their window had been shattered. It was then that the emergency operator guided her to locate the wound, a single gunshot to the side of his head."

The woman looked away from the television when her cell phone rang. Retrieving her phone, she frowned when she didn't recognize the number. She let it ring, turning her attention to the tv once more.

"We want to assure the people of Media City, that this was likely a case of premeditated murder and not a random act of violence. So while our hearts go out to Darmani Stone's family and loved ones, it's most likely safe to continue about our normal affairs. In the meantime, the Media City Police are working tirelessly to bring the responsible parties to justice. I will now take a few questions."

When her cell phone rang again, the caller id displaying the same caller, the woman relented. After all, hardly anyone had her number and it was probably a misdial.

She answered the call, holding it to her ear without speaking.

"I'm looking for Impa Esposito." the caller said.

"This is she."

Five minutes later she was climbing into a cab.

"To the Majora Building." she told the driver.

* * *

The receptionist looked up from the computer with her customary smile having heard the faint footsteps approaching her desk, though the greeting froze on her lips after one look at the newcomer. The woman before her was tall and exotic looking with a bronze complexion and blood red eyes – Sheikah's eyes. What a curious hairstyle, the receptionist mused, her eyes taking in the woman's light blonde cropped hair and the long braid that hung in front of her right ear. It wasn't often that her boss had visitors with looks as striking as her own.

Their eyes met again and the receptionist blushed.

"Can I help you?" she managed, proud of her even tone.

"I have an appointment with Miss Pari." the Sheikah woman answered smoothly.

"I believe she's indisposed at the moment." the receptionist said, confused. She had no record of a six o'clock appointment."I'm afraid she's not available until tomorrow morning. Would you like to leave a message?"

At that very moment, the door to the executive office opened, revealing the woman in question. Miss Maya Pari was a statuesque woman. Large but not portly, she was proportionately big, towering over other women and the vast majority of men as well. Maya smiled at her visitor, her painted lips almost jovial as her purple eyes sparkled.

"Never mind what the schedule says, Amy." She told her receptionist. "Please come in, Impa, and thank you for coming on such short notice."

The tall woman said nothing as she entered the room; Miss Pari held the door open and for her, and turning towards the very confused receptionist she added.

"This is a very important and private meeting. Be sure that no one disturbs us." With that she shut the door before the girl could reply, locking it for good measure.

"Please have a seat, Impa We have much to discuss." Miss Pari said gesturing to the seating area in the center of the room. Impa's eyes roved about the office as she complied; it was large and spacious, filled with leather and teak furniture, and numerous plants were scattered about the room. Impa sat on the couch and her eyes were drawn to a framed newspaper clipping that sat on the coffee table.

_**Businesswoman/Philanthropist Maya Pari Named Head of Board of Directors for Media City Ballet Company **_

The clipping was old, she noticed; Maya had been Head of the Board for many years now.

"That was the proudest day of my life." Miss Pari said softly. The woman picked up the frame and ran her manicured fingers over the glass, her eyes sentimental. "Back then I had not a clue of the challenges facing this organization..."

"Mr Darmani Stone had ties to the ballet did he not?" Impa asked, getting to what she suspected was the point.

Miss Pari's eyes hardened.

"Indeed he did, Miss Esposito. Indeed he did." she said, setting the frame back on the table.

"I contacted you because you are the best at what you do, and I need the best." Miss Pari said, her expression grave. "The rest of the board cannot know that I hired you, but I believe one day they'll thank me just the same."

A slender blonde eyebrow raised in a silent request for her to elaborate.

"I need you to go undercover and investigate the dealings of our current Ballet Master, Ghirahim LeFlamme."

* * *

_**The name Maya is Greek and may mean "Great One." The Persian name Pari means "Fairy". Who do you think Miss Maya Pari is ?**_


	5. The Night Zelda Broke a Habit

_**Hey guys (well let's face it, it's probably mostly girls reading this but it's all good). I don't know what to say other than that I'm sorry for the lateness of this chapter, but at almost 7,000 words and mostly new material, I hope that makes a difference. It hasn't been beta'd either, so if there are any mistakes with grammar well, sorry... **_

_**Thanks to everyone who reviewed last chapter. You will notice with the redux, that the flashbacks will be consistent throughout the story; just a little change I thought would better suit the storyline. Okay, thanks for reading and I hope you like chapter five!**_

_**-Miss Ashlynn**_

* * *

**She Can Move**

**Chapter Five: The Night Zelda Broke A Habit and Midna Broke Her Shoe  
**

**_Old Hyrule_**

_**About month after Ganondorf's defeat and the Destruction of the Mirror of Twilight...**_

_Zelda huffed in frustration as she pored over the scrolls laying before her. She was surely a sight to see at the moment, she thought with amusement. Here she was, the supposedly "perfect" princess of Hyrule, in all her finery, sitting indian style in the grass, her hair thrown up haphazardly in a knot atop her head. Tch, whatever..._

_In all honesty she couldn't bring herself to care at this point._

_About a month had passed since the battle with Ganondorf, and oh what a month it had been. Midna's attempt to finish Ganon off had resulted in an explosion that almost completely obliterated Hyrule castle. She wasn't complaining, of course, since at the end of the day her people were now safe as well as the inhabitants of the Twili realm. Still, it was quite the undertaking to rebuild, and the Triforce of Wisdom didn't magically make her an architect! Zelda had been adamant that any repairs needed by the townspeople would be made first and foremost. Then the castle would get some much-needed attention._

_The Princess dipped her quill pen in the pot of ink before making a few adjustments to the blueprints. It was at times like this she especially missed Sheik. Her highly intelligent friend would be the ideal consultant on such a project._

_After a great deal of debate, he had gone to live in the Twilight Realm as the protector of Queen Midna. She supposed after centuries of protecting the princesses of Hyrule, he could use a change of scenery but she still missed him. _

"_Eh, Pardon me Princess Zelda." the muttered apologies of a very startled guard shook her from her thoughts. She smiled when she realized how awkward it must be for the man to see her so "indisposed"._

"_No need to excuse yourself, Andrew," she said with a smirk. "I'm just brainstorming."_

_Andrew nodded in understanding._

"_The Hero of Twilight is here to see you, Your Highness."_

_Crystal blue eyes widened in amazement._

_Well this was a surprise. She hadn't expected to see him so soon after his quest._

"_Well, I suppose since there is no throne room, I shall see him in here," Zelda said, still wide-eyed. "Send him in, please."_

"_Right away Your Highness," the guard said, immediately on his way to summon the hero._

"_Thank you!" she called after him as she got to her feet. Ugh, her leg had fallen asleep._

_Shortly after their battle with Ganondorf, Zelda became privy to some scandalous information. Apparently, there had been a romance between her great grandmother Zelda and the Hero of Time. Now she couldn't even think about Link without blushing and she prayed to the goddesses that she not embarrass herself. She could certainly understand what her great grandmother had seen in him, if the Hero resembled anything close to his current incarnation. Much to her chagrin, she had no time to fix her appearance before Link arrived._

_And then he was there before her, and Zelda couldn't have been happier to see him._

"_Your Highness." the handsome young man greeted, respectfully dropping to his knee._

"_Please rise, Hero. There are no need for formalities between friends." Zelda replied graciously._

_Link rose accordingly, slight confusion in his intense blue gaze due to her unkempt appearance._

"_Please excuse my.." she gestured to her outfit and hair with a nervous laugh. "It's been a very busy couple of weeks around here, you see."_

"_I understand completely." he replied with a lopsided smile. The garden grew silent except for the sound of nearby construction, with the two of them just gazing at each other._

"_I'm happy to see you again," she finally said._

_The Hero's seemed to snap back into reality._

"_Well, I wanted to offer my assistance in the rebuilding of the castle. I've never built a castle before," Zelda giggled girlishly at that. "but I built several barns back in Ordon."_

"_What a considerate offer, but wouldn't you rather be home after your journey? After all you've done for Hyrule, surely you of all people deserve a vacation."_

"_**You**__ don't get a vacation," he pointed out causing her to smile and shyly avert her eyes._

"_This is true..." she conceded._

"_What is it you're working on?" Link asked taking a few steps toward her, referring to the mess of scrolls laying about._

"_Ah, these are my evil plans," she joked as he came to stand beside her._

"_Wow. You're the one drawing up the blueprints?" he asked incredulously, causing her to raise an eyebrow._

"_Not that I think you're not capable I just..." the young man backpedaled._

"_I take no offense, Link." she replied with an indulgent laugh. It didn't escape his notice that she'd used his first name and it pleased him more than she'd ever know._

"_And to answer your question, yes I am drawing up the blueprints. It is quite the task I must admit, but I've always loved puzzles and so I try to see it as that. One enormous puzzle."_

"_Indeed." Link murmured with a smirk._

"_Well as much as I think you deserve a holiday, I would be remiss if I did not accept your offer of assistance."_

"_It would be my pleasure." the Hero replied and Zelda's eyes softened with affection._

"_You amaze me with your generosity, Link. Thank you so much."_

* * *

_**Present Day**_

_**Hyrule Castle City**_

_**Sheik and Zelda's apartment**_

Midna looked hot. Or at least Zelda thought so. In Zelda's humble opinion, her best friend looked like an exotic princess out for a night on the town, and there was no way that Sheik wouldn't notice her looking as sexy as she did.

The Twili woman wore a navy sequined minidress, that shimmered and sparkled as it caught the lights. The square neckline showed off her delicate collarbone, and the short hemline revealed miles of toned leg. Zelda smiled an evil grin. Phase two of Operation: Sheik and Midna love connection was well underway. Her big brother wouldn't know what hit him.

"What's up with you, tonight?" Midna asked with a laugh as Zelda attacked a lock of orange hair with thermal spray and a flat iron. The women stood in the bathroom, Midna directly beneath the lights of the vanity as Zelda worked with the determination of a personal stylist.

"I just want you to look picture perfect," was Zelda's cheeky reply.

Midna frowned, not buying it. The women often helped each other get ready when going out, but this seemed a little excessive.

"You spent less than five minutes getting ready," Midna pointed out.

Zelda just shrugged and the Twili woman huffed, folding her arms. Admittedly, her hair looked fantastic, and yes, her makeup was flawless, but she still hated feeling like Zelda wasn't telling her something.

"I'm not the one with someone to impress," Zelda said offhandedly, and then froze. Damn... Why did she always feel the need to make small talk when no one else was speaking!?

Midna was staring at her suspiciously.

"Excuse me?"

"I said... " Zelda floundered. "you gotta dress to impress!" Woah, that had been close.

The Twili woman remained silent, a thoughtful look on her face.

"Alright, that's enough," Midna said when the blonde approached with the mascara for the third time. "I'm doing your hair now."

"What's wrong with my hair?" Zelda asked, frowning when Midna grabbed her shoulders and moved her to stand by the sink.

"I just want you to look picture perfect, darling!" Midna sang, throwing Zelda's words back at her. She grabbed a curling iron and plugged it in, taking a hairbrush in her other hand.

"I also wanted to ask you something..." Midna ran the brush through Zelda's hair, watching the blonde strands smooth out in the wake of the bristles.

"Why didn't you tell me about the man who visited you at work yesterday?"

Zelda blinked, then frowned.

Yes, it was true...Link had showed up at her job, his little sister in tow. On Wednesday afternoon, Zelda arrived at work and was informed that a customer requested her specifically.

Most of the wait staff at Blues were known for their exceptional service, so it wasn't often when a customer requested one person over another to wait on them. More common was people asking not to have the "blue one" serve them, which was fine with Midna.

When Zelda walked into the dining room, heading for her section, she was stunned to see Link of all people. He smiled that lopsided smile of his and waved excitedly.

Zelda had frozen in her shock, standing like a particularly useless statue in the center of the room. He had come... to see her? She was surprised and strangely flattered.

And then another head popped out from the opposite side of the booth, a female head... and Zelda felt her heart sink. Was this Malon, or maybe even a new girl? Oh Goddesses, she wasn't prepared for this...Being around Link certainly wasn't doing much for her ego these days... Forcing herself to move forward Zelda approached the booth. She would not feel upset over seeing Link with another woman, she assured herself. Why should she? Link was just a friend, barely a friend. He was a guy she hardly knew for crying out loud! The blonde brought her chin up, plastering a smile on her face as she reached the booth that held Link and his date.

"Welcome to Blues Steakhouse." she chirped, almost cringing at the sound of her voice. "Didn't think I'd see you again so soon, Link. But it's a pleasant surprise."

Link grinned boyishly.

"I'm so glad you were working today." he told her. "I wanted you to meet Aryll, my little sister. Aryll this is my friend, Zelda Harkinian."

Zelda blinked, then looked at the woman Link introduced as Aryll, noticing the resemblance right away. Aryll was thin, tan, and blonde just like her brother, complete with deep blue eyes. She was very pretty, Zelda thought.

"It's great to meet you." Zelda heard Aryll saying.

"Oh, um, same here." Zelda said, regaining her faculty of speech. She smiled brilliantly, realizing her mistake and feeling silly about it. "I'm glad to know you're feeling better." she added pleasantly.

"I'm not mad or anything," Midna was saying. "I just wondered why you didn't tell me about him. Kate told me about it this afternoon."

Zelda rolled her eyes. Kate from work was such a loudmouth...

"There's really nothing to tell..." Zelda replied, uncomfortable. "Link is just a friend. Barely a friend, actually."

At that Midna paused in her work and looked at her questioningly.

Zelda sighed.

"I've known him for less than a week, Midna. We met at the Latin Music Festival," Zelda explained. "He thought he recognized me from somewhere and came up to inquire if we'd met before."

Midna smiled.

"That's the oldest pick-up line in the book!" she laughed. "Oh you look so familiar... have we met before?"

"I don't think he was trying to pick me up." Zelda commented. "I sorta asked him out and...yeah..."

"You asked out a random guy on the street?" Midna asked incredulously. "And I'm guessing he said no..."

Zelda didn't have to answer; the pink hue to her cheeks said everything for her. This Link guy had turned her down. Midna was genuinely surprised that anyone would turn Zelda down. Though she knew the blonde didn't consider herself that attractive, the general male population would disagree with her. So the question was...

"Why did he come sniffing around the restaurant if he wasn't interested?" Midna asked, feeling quite angry about the whole affair. "And why would you want to meet his sister? What a freak..."

"Well I sort of ran into him again the next day," Zelda said. "He helped me carry my groceries home from the market, and then he stayed for lunch."

"Only you would invite the guy over for lunch..." Midna chuckled. "Well he sounds like a real jerk to me."

"Funny, I thought you would take more kindly to the man who encouraged me to get over my crush on Vaati," Zelda commented wryly.

Midna's eyes met hers.

"Keep talking..." the Twili woman said, moving to stand behind Zelda to work on the back of her head.

Zelda laughed.

"I'm finished pining after Vaati," the blonde said with a shrug. "Link just got out of a relationship and it was so hard for him to make the break, but he knew his ex was wrong for him and did something about it. He inspired me; I mean, he didn't settle for the wrong person, and like you said I already know that Vaati isn't right for me. So why waste my time? I mean, yeah, he's hot and all, but there's other hot men on the planet..."

"I have to meet this guy," Midna muttered. "If only to shake his hand..."

"Well, he'll be at the club tonight with his sister Aryll," Zelda replied. "So you can thank him then."

"He's coming tonight?"

"I think so. Aryll had asked me what clubs I would recommend and I told her we were going to Vapor tonight. Link said they might come tonight." Apparently Aryll had done a lot of housework back at Link's apartment, and now she was hoping to have a little fun.

"Something isn't adding up," the Twili woman mused.

"What do you mean?"

"You don't think it's weird that this guy keeps wanting to hang out? I mean, what does he want?" Midna questioned.

"We get along really well," Zelda said. "I think he's just going through a rough time right now."

"Yeah, but you asked him out, so you obviously found him attractive..."

"What's your point?" Zelda asked.

"My point is that maybe he regrets turning you down. Maybe he's changing his mind."

That was a dangerous thought, one that Zelda had considered briefly before dismissing. She didn't want to get her hopes up.

"Either way I think I want to meet him tonight. After all, the enemy of my enemy is my friend..."

The petite blonde chuckled. Midna would hate Vaati til the day she died, if only on behalf of all the women he'd played. A few moments of silence passed as Midna worked and Zelda stood patiently. This would have been the perfect opportunity for Midna to tell her about Sheik, but to her disappointment, her friend didn't say a word.

"You do know I would never hide anything from you, right? I mean, nothing important." Zelda said suddenly, her voice the very embodiment of sincerity.

Midna's expression turned pained.

"Yeah. Of course I know that, Zelda." she answered softly. A moment later the women heard footsteps approaching down the hallway followed by a knock on the bathroom door.

"You girls almost ready?" Sheik asked through the door.

"We can't rush perfection," Midna replied, twirling a lock of blonde hair around the curling iron. "But, yes we're almost ready."

"Vaati and Mikau will be here with the cab in five. Vaati said to be ready to go."

Midna rolled her eyes and huffed.

"As if we've never been late to a club because of him..." she muttered, referring to the purple-haired fool, and Zelda giggled behind her hand.

"Can I come in?" Zelda heard her brother say. "I'd like to brush my teeth."

"It's your house, you know. You can do whatever you want." Midna told him as she opened the door. Zelda watched through the mirror. The expression on her brother's face was priceless.

The minute the bathroom door opened, and Midna was there smiling and looking incredible and so – sparkly... Sheik's mind went blank. The only thought his poor beleaguered mind could conjure up was 'wow'.

Just, wow.

"All finished," Midna was saying as she gave Zelda's hair a final spritz of hairspray. She looked to Sheik, who was still standing in the hall for some reason, just staring at her. "The bathroom's all yours. Comon, Zel."

The women brushed past him, crossing the hall into Zelda's room to get their shoes. Zelda's grin was positively wicked.

* * *

Waiting within the roped off line to get into Vapor, Zelda and her group chattered excitedly, all except for Sheik- who was strangely quiet.

The elder Harkinian leaned on the velvet rope divider, his blood red eyes occasionally glancing at the traffic going by. The days following the chat he'd had with his sister, Sheik found himself thinking about their conversation, and even moreso, the person they'd talked about. Indeed, his sister had tried to convince him that Midna was the woman for him, and he had to admit, she made some very good points. He was beginning to look at Midna, the woman he'd practically grown up with – his little sister's best friend, the headstrong, brash woman who always spoke her mind - in a brand new light.

He still wasn't sure about Midna being perfect for him, as Zelda had said. Even so, he now could admit to himself that he found her attractive. Especially after he saw her tonight, looking like a million dollars, wearing that dress that fit her body like a glove. If he hadn't seen her as a woman before tonight- well, he certainly did now...

Sheik had a very analytical mind; his martial arts training had taught him to always plan ahead, to always consider a situation from all angles before choosing a course of action. Ideally, he would be made aware of Midna's feelings before he made a move, but during their conversation his sister had failed to mention how Midna felt about him - or if she had even talked with her about that subject. Perhaps Zelda had observed something in her friends' behavior that gave away her concealed feelings?

Sheik knew Midna cared for him as a friend. They had known each other for years and he and Zelda had even stayed with the Shadows for a while after Dad died. But now if he was actually interested in her as a woman, how would she react? Would Midna welcome his attentions, or would she be repulsed by the idea of getting romantically involved with her best friends big brother? That, it seemed, was the million dollar question.

Midna, weary from Anju's incessant chatter, glanced away from her girlfriends, only to lock eyes with Sheik. The way he looked at her was strange, like he was trying to figure out a puzzle. She offered a small smile, unsure how to respond, and he grinned wolfishly in response, effectively turning her insides to a melted puddle of goo. She huffed inwardly. It was uncanny how Sheik affected her. Damn the man...

Before she knew it she was moving to stand beside him.

"What are you staring at?" she asked, crossing her arms.

Sheik shrugged, putting his hands in his pockets. He looked devastatingly handsome in his dark shirt and snug fitting jeans. This was Sheik when he was at a club; all mysterious looks and stoic politeness. "You look beautiful tonight." he told her, watching her reaction.

Midna smiled brightly, genuinely flattered.

"Thanks. I had a lot of help from Zelda."

Of course she did, Sheik thought darkly. His sister was playing dirty...

"I know you usually dance with the girls, but maybe I could steal a few songs tonight."

The Twili woman blinked.

"Sure," she said softly. It had to be her makeup, Midna concluded. She made a mental note to take Zelda on a shopping spree, her treat.

* * *

Within the crowded club, a certain young man sat at the end of the futuristic-looking bar, drink in one hand and cell phone in the other. He'd been waiting for his sister to come back from the bathroom when he'd felt his phone vibrating in his pant's pocket.

Another text from Malon. It read: I have something very important to tell you. Call me when you get this message. The frustrated young man rolled his eyes and pocketed his cell, thoroughly fed up. This was the fifth text she sent him today alone and all of them read exactly the same. Despite the warnings of his sister and cousin not to contact his ex, Link was really starting to worry if everything was okay with Malon. Sure, they weren't a couple anymore, but Link still cared about her as a person.

Turning upon his stool, Link looked out upon the gyrating masses. His eyes lit up when he caught sight of Zelda making her way across the dance floor, and immediately his mouth turned upward into a smile. One day Link would realize how special it was that this girl, Zelda, seemingly had the ability to make him happy simply by being near.

"Hey!" Zelda greeted above the din when she was finally in talking distance, smiling brighter than the strobe lights.

Before he could utter a response, Aryll appeared, flinging herself into Zelda's arms.

"Zelda!" the younger woman exclaimed. "Oh my goodness, you look incredible! What a cute dress!"

Link noticed the skintight pink minidress Zelda wore with masculine appreciation.

"Thanks Aryll!" Zelda replied. "Your...um, dress is very interesting..."

Aryll smiled, evidently not catching the hesitation in Zelda's voice and taking her statement as a compliment. Tonight Aryll wore yet another of her creations; her short, lime-green dress that appeared to be made of plastic was more fashion-forward than her usual work.

"Oh you like it?" Aryll asked, holding her arms out as she turned this way and that way modeling the dress. "It's made of recycled soda bottles. I cut them into strips and wove them together," Aryll explained. "The matching jacket doubles as a floatation device," she added enthusiastically.

Zelda blinked, unsure how to respond.

Link chose this moment to interject, rising from his seat.

"Hey Zelda. How's it going?" he asked with a grin.

Zelda turned toward him, tucking a stray curl behind her ear.

"I'm good. You know I planned on bringing my friend, Midna over to meet you, but she's a little preoccupied at the moment," Zelda grinned, thinking of the way Sheik and Midna had paired off right after entering the club.

"Anyways, you look nice tonight," Zelda commented, gesturing toward his ensemble.

Link surveyed his outfit. Dark jeans and a black button-up shirt.

"Aryll picked it out," he said with a shrug. "I'd picked something else but she said no."

"Really? What were you planning on wearing?" Zelda asked curiously.

Noticing that his sister had turned toward the bar to order a drink, Link unbuttoned the first few buttons revealing the graphic t-shirt beneath.

"This is what I wanted to wear," he told Zelda in a low voice.

Zelda looked at the shirt. It read: Back in my day we had nine planets.

Zelda blinked, processing...

"Oh!" she finally said with a laugh. "Because Pluto is now considered a moon!" They spoke the last few words in unison.

"Very clever," Zelda conceded with a nod, still grinning. "But not really appropriate club wear."

"I guess not," Link shrugged. "Hey, you want something to drink?"

The pair sat down, smiling at each other.

"Oh, you two..." Aryll threw her hands up in defeat, seeing her companions sitting. "I want to dance you guys!"

"No one's stopping you..." Link told his sister with a wink.

Aryll smirked. Of course, the lovebirds wanted to "talk" for a while. Oh wait, they were friends, as Link had insisted, nothing more. Her big brother was so clueless sometimes...

"Fine, I'll stay nearby." she said before disappearing into the masses.

"A cranberry vodka, please," Zelda politely told the bartender before turning toward her companion, completely unaware of the man's lecherous gaze. Link wanted to punch the man's lights out.

"So I'm pretty sure my friend thinks you're a stalker."

Link choked on his drink, stifling a laugh.

"Which friend is this?"

"Midna."

"Of course, Midna. Can't wait to meet that one..." Link had heard quite a few stories about this Midna girl. She sounded like a hellcat to him, but Zelda seemed to love her, so he would keep that particular sentiment to himself.

"I guess I can see why she would think that I'm stalker-ish," Link grinned, running a hand through his hair. "After all, what kind of guy keeps showing up wherever you are – even at your job," he shook his head.

"Don't worry about it, Link," Zelda soothed. "We're friends. I didn't mind you coming into Blues. I was glad you did, especially since I got to meet Aryll. She's such a sweet person."

"Just please know that I don't usually meet people this way, like ever...In fact, just walking up to you at the festival is something I would never do normally. I'm not a real outgoing sort of guy."

Zelda giggled.

"I understand Link. And even if you are a crazy stalker, I comfort myself knowing that I could easily subdue you if necessary," the petite woman commented airily, smiling at the bartender who slid her drink before her.

Link's jaw nearly hit the bar.

"Excuse me?" he asked. He had the distinct feeling that the demure woman next to him had just called him a wuss.

"I said I don't worry about you too much because I could probably best you in a fight. I'm practically a black belt, you know." Zelda sipped her drink, smiling when she found it to her liking.

Link guffawed at her casual statement, finding it more amusing then anything else.

"I may not be a martial artist, Zelda, but I did take four years of fencing," Link said trying not brag.

Zelda gave him a flat look.

"What good is a background in fencing when you don't carry a sword?" she asked, looking at him expectantly.

"The principles can be used with a variety of weapons..."

"Whatever you say."

If that wasn't a brush off Link didn't know what was...

"You don't find me to be a physical threat at all?" he asked. This conversation was ridiculous but his honor was at stake! "I mean, don't get me wrong. I would never hurt you, Zelda. But you don't seem to think I could if I wanted to."

"You could try," Zelda conceded with a nod and a patronizing smile.

"I would do a lot more than try," Link said, crossing his arms.

"I would wipe the floors with you," was Zelda's response.

Link gaped at her.

"We could fight each other." Zelda suggested. "Then we'd have an answer for sure."

"That's the craziest idea I've ever heard," Link scoffed.

"You're obviously scared," Zelda teased.

"I am not scared of you!" Link exclaimed. "I mean, look at you! You're tiny! I could pick you up over my shoulder and carry you around like a caveman for crying out loud!"

Zelda broke down in a fit of giggles, her shoulders heaving as her head rest on her arms.

"I've never threatened a woman before," Link commented in disbelief.

Zelda rose to look at him, smiling warmly.

"So I'm just special then?" she asked. For a moment Link froze, her words reverberating through his being. Their faces were so close; due to the close seating at the bar and the crowds surrounded them they were seated so close their shoulders were nearly touching. Something in her words vaguely reminded him of a different time. With her beautiful visage so near, his clever retort had disappeared on his lips, leaving in it's place an honest reply.

"Yes..." Link muttered, blinking owlishly. "I think you're very special," Link added with a furrowed brow watching her closely.

Zelda leaned back, unsure where Link was going with his comment. The way he was looking at her was giving her butterflies.

"Do I have something on my face?" she asked, brushing her fingers under her nose self-consciously.

"It's just an eyelash," Link said hoarsely, raising his hand toward her cheek, slow enough so she could stop him if she didn't want to be touched. In truth, there was nothing on Zelda's face. Link had simply been caught in the moment. There was something very different about this woman, he decided. Very different, but very special indeed.

For Zelda, her breath caught in her throat when a callused finger touched her cheek. She watched his face, wondering what he was thinking.

She opened her mouth to say something, only to be silenced when she heard a familiar voice calling her name.

"Zelda, there you are! I've been looking all over for you!"

Link jerked his hand away as if her skin had burned him, and both he and Zelda whirled around to see who had interrupted their conversation, if it could even be called as much. Much to Zelda's surprise, it was Vaati who stood before them. He had been looking for her?

"Oh, hey Vaati," she greeted. "You've been looking for me? Is everything okay?"

"Of course everything's okay, I just wanted to snag you for a few dances," the purple haired man replied with a devilish grin.

Zelda couldn't believe her ears.

"Who's your friend?" Vaati asked, nodding in Link's direction.

"Oh, how rude of me," Zelda said, feeling like a scatterbrain. "Vaati this is my good friend, Link Hero. Link, this is my friend, Vaati Minish. He's one of the members of our dance crew," Zelda introduced as the two men shook hands.

"Nice to meet you," Link said politely.

"So you're the stalker?" Vaati retorted with a smirk.

Taken aback, Link took back his hand, blinking owlishly all the while. Vaati looked back to Zelda who was taking a sip of her cranberry vodka, regarding him curiously.

"Comon Zel, dance with me," Vaati urged, brazenly grabbing her free hand.

Though Zelda's first reaction was to feel flattered at his attentions, something seemed _off_ about this whole situation. Vaati never sought her out at clubs. He was always off in some dark corner with a random girl, and now he suddenly wanted to dance with her? Crystal blue eyes narrowed in annoyance when it occurred to her that the difference between tonight and the countless other nights they'd gone clubbing was that _tonight_ she was with a man, not dancing with Midna and Anju. The petite blonde seethed, reaching a decision.

"Thanks so much for the offer, Vaati," Zelda said. "but Link and I were talking and I'd like to finish our conversation."

It was quite obvious to Link that this had not been the answer Vaati anticipated.

Link watched as Zelda took back her hand and turned away from the arrogant man. There seemed to be something going on here he was not yet privy to...

"Since when do you come to a club to sit around and talk?" Vaati snorted derisively.

"It was nice meeting you," Link offered when Zelda ignored the purple haired man. He received a dirty look in reply.

Vaati turned on his heel and shoved his way past several club-goers as he vanished into the sea of people.

"He was nice...I guess..." Link said turning back around in his chair.

Zelda laughed, shaking her head.

"I'm sorry about him. He isn't usually like that." Well, she supposed that wasn't completely true. Vaati was always a jerk to Midna, but she gave it right back to him.

"I used to have a huge crush on Vaati," Zelda admitted, spinning her glass around and watching the ice clink about.

"You used to?" Link prompted.

"Well, actually it's because of you that I decided to get over him."

Link waited with bated breath for her to elaborate.

"I'd liked him for a long time. He's been friends with my brother for years and so he was always just there. We flirted sometimes, back and forth. I guess I just liked the attention, you know? He made me feel good about myself. I've never been lucky in love, and Mr. Wrong seemed better then Mr. No-one-at-all..." she sighed, her eyes downcast. "When you told me about your break-up, I was so impressed, Link," Zelda continued earnestly. "You were so brave to be honest with yourself, and it made me realize that I was carrying a torch for Vaati when I already knew he was wrong for me."

Link noted her pink-tinged cheeks as she finished her story.

"Now he seems to think I've moved on with another guy."

"Yeah, I think that's where all the douchebaggery came from..." Link observed.

"Douchebaggery?" Zelda repeated with a laugh.

"Yeah. You know, the behavior befitting of a douchebag," Link explained as if the term could be found in any dictionary.

Zelda giggled.

"He was right about one thing, though," Link continued, getting up from his stool. "People generally don't come to a dance club to sit around." he swept a long arm in the direction of the dance floor and grinned that lopsided grin of his. "Shall we?"

Zelda's smile nearly blinded him.

In another section of the club, Midna had just excused herself from dancing with Sheik in order to make a trip to the bathroom. She'd put it off as long as she could, knowing that the women stalking him all night would make their move as soon as she left.

Tonight had been a dream come true for the Twili woman, who had secretly harbored feelings for Sheik for several years. Dancing with him, her soft curves against his muscular form, had been nothing short of heavenly, though she couldn't help but wonder where his head was at when he asked to spend more time with her tonight? Sheik would never attempt to play her, not when it would inevitably provoke the wrath of his beloved little sister. So did that mean he was interested in her? He could be so difficult to read, that Sheik Harkinian.

On her way back from the restrooms she was filled with giddy excitement to dance with Sheik once more. Nothing could ruin this night for her.

This very thought was still on in a terrible example of irony, Midna slipped on a patch of wet tile and fell with a startled cry; the combination of the slippery floor and her unreasonably high heeled shoes sent her careening into a nearby table.

"Crap..." Midna muttered, clutching the table as she steadied herself. Unfortunately, when she went to put weight on her left foot, her heel didn't hit the floor. Puzzled, the Twili woman looked down to investigate only to discover that her heel had broken off.

Oh great, she thought. Just great... There was no way she could dance like this.

Thoroughly embarrassed, Midna hobbled to the small table where Kafei and Anju were sitting.

"You okay?" Anju asked, concern upon her face.

Midna sighed as she fell into the booth.

"My shoe broke on my way back from the bathroom," she explained, craning her neck to look for Sheik on the dance floor. "I have to find Sheik. He was waiting for me..."

"I'll get him," Kafei offered.

"Thanks. He was over that way," Midna directed, pointing to where she and Sheik had been dancing just minutes ago.

"You're lucky, Midna. At least you didn't hurt your ankle or anything," Anju said after Kafei left the table. Midna appreciated Anju's concern, but she certainly didn't feel lucky at the moment.

"If I was lucky I would have busted my head straight open," Midna replied dryly and for once, Anju had nothing to say in response.

A moment later, Kafei returned with Sheik.

"What happened?" he asked, sitting beside Midna as Kafei sat down across the table.

"My shoe broke," Midna replied angrily. "I slipped on a wet spot on the floor."

"That's negligence," Anju said. "The management here have a responsibility to provide a safe partying environment..."

"I doubt this is the first time someone's shoe has broken in a club." was Kafei's reply.

"Did you hurt yourself?" the elder Harkinian questioned.

"No, I'm not hurt, just pissed. Looks like the parties over for me tonight..."

Sheik's brows knit together in thought.

"Are there any shoe stores around here?" he asked.

"Not any that would be open at this time of night," Midna said wistfully.

"Isn't ValueMart open 24 hours?" Kafei suggested, referring to a discount department store downtown.

"Oh that's a fantastic idea, Kafei," Anju cried. "They have tons of shoes and it's only a few streets over!"

Sheik nodded before rising to his feet.

"Comon," he told Midna, offering her his hand. "Let's go get you some new shoes. Has anyone seen Zelda around?" The elder Harkinian was mildly alarmed; he always knew where his little sister was when they went out. Midna was really distracting him tonight, he realized.

"Oh I completely forgot," Midna exclaimed, allowing Sheik to haul her to her feet. "I was supposed to meet her new friend tonight. That's where she probably is. Hanging out with what's-his-name and his little sister."

"I don't want to leave without knowing where she is..."

"Don't worry, Sheik," Kafei interjected. "Anju and I will look for her. You two go ahead."

Anju looked at him with a puzzled expression.

"We're not going with them?" she asked her boyfriend.

Kafei shook his head, hoping she would save her questions until later.

"Alright. We'll be back in less than an hour." Sheik was saying.

Anju watched, her brows crinkled in confusion, as the pair walked off, with Midna clutching Sheik's arm like a lifeline.

"Let's go find Zelda," Kafei said after downing the rest of his beer. A small hand clutching his sleeve stopped him when he tried to rise from the booth. He glanced over his shoulder at his girlfriend who raised an eyebrow.

"Aren't you going to explain what just happened right there?" she asked expectantly.

Kafei sighed.

"I'll tell you later, Sweetheart. First we have to find Zelda."

Anju's brows knit together in annoyance but she obediently followed her boyfriend out of the booth in search of the younger Harkinian.

* * *

The incessant vibrating of her cell phone finally had Aryll leaving the dance floor in search of a quiet place, which turned out to be the sidewalk outside Vapor. She laughed, catching sight of a sequin-clad Twili woman riding piggy-back on a blond haired man. Interesting, she thought, pulling her cell phone from her clutch. Eight missed calls from Dark were displayed on the screen. Aryll pressed redial, wondering what on earth could be so important to warrant so many phone calls.

"Oh thank Farore..." Dark answered on the first ring, sounding agitated.

"What's going on, Dark?" Aryll asked, worried.

"Goddesses, Aryll I've been calling you and Link for the last hour and a half. You guys have to get back here right away," Dark said, "here" meaning their apartment of course.

"Why are you whispering?"

"Because Malon and her parents are here, and they won't leave until they can talk to Link."

"But he's not there!"

Aryll could imagine her cousin rolling his eyes.

"I told them that, but they know he has to come home sometime. Apparently, Malon's been trying to get in touch with him but he's been ignoring her calls."

"Well of course he's ignoring her calls! He doesn't want to get back with her!" Aryll exclaimed. "What does the woman expect for crying out loud?"

"She's pregnant, Aryll," Dark sighed. "She's claiming that Link is the father."

Aryll was so completely stunned and horrified by his words that if it had been physically possible her eyeballs might have popped out from their sockets and bounced off down the street.

This did not bode well for her big brother...

* * *

**_Thanks for reading! _**


	6. Dirty Little Secret

**_Hey readers and lurkers! Here's chapter six; it introduces the first major change between the old version and the new one. Thanks to the all the reviewers, and to SomewhereOnlySheKnows for being there to brainstorm and bounce ideas off of. She's so sweet and has been a huge help to me:)_**

**_Okay I'll stop talking... enjoy! I don't own Legend of Zelda (weeps)  
_**

**_Love,_**

**_Miss Ashlynn_**

* * *

_**She Can Move**_

_**Chapter Six: Dirty Little Secret**_

_**Old Hyrule**_

_**40 days since Ganondorf's defeat and the Destruction of the Mirror of Twilight**_

"Good work today, kid," the stout old foreman told Link. "Good to see the young people still have work ethic."

He'd said that everyday for the past week but Link just smiled and nodded before taking his leave from that days worksite.

The Hero of Twilight, it seemed, could add a new skill to his already expansive skill set: construction worker. Yes, it had been a week since Link had joined the fifty-something man team of masons and laborers who were in charge of renovations and repairs on Hyrule Castle. They worked everyday except Sundays from dusk until dawn. Link had a new appreciation for those men; it was really hard work.

Whenever he wasn't working, however, a certain Princess held his attention. A princess, who, was just as involved in the rebuilding work as the rest of them. She ate with them, she conversed with them, she laughed and joked with them, always praising their efforts thanking them for being there when she was sure they'd rather be home with their families.

Perhaps some had families to go home to, but not the Hero of Twilight. Link had long since realized there was nothing back in Ordon for him. So where would he go when the construction work was completed?

It was this thought that kept him awake that very night as he tossed and turned in his borrowed bed.

Sitting up, Link rubbed his hands over his face, wishing he could just stop thinking and get some sleep. More than anything, however, he yearned to see the Princess Zelda. If Link were to be honest with himself, he'd hoped to spend more time with her since his arrival, but she was always surrounded by people, and if no one else her elderly Sheikah companion was constantly by her side.

He wondered what she was doing right now.

Next thing he knew, Link dressed in trousers and a tunic and crept into the hallway, shutting his door quietly behind him.

Link was normally one to mind his own business, but something about the Princess had captivated him since the first time they'd met. He wondered what went on behind those intelligent cornflower eyes. If only he could get her alone...

Now those were scandalous thoughts.

But he just wanted to talk with her, he reasoned, and spend time with her. After his dangerous journey it was difficult going back to a quiet life in Ordon, especially when he had no one who understood how he'd changed. His friends meant well, but they didn't understand how a quiet simple boy had come home as a brooding, occasionally antisocial young man. The Princess had seen what happened, had fought alongside him against Ganon, had been present when Midna shattered the mirror of Twilight. He had so many things he wanted to ask her, but hadn't had the opportunity.

Tonight, it seemed, he would get his chance. Link had made his way towards the Princess's private courtyard, and against his better judgement, strolled right in. It was obvious to him that this space was her sanctuary; the nighttime had cast the entire garden in shades of deep green and blue, delicate paper lanterns hung overhead and whimsical decorations were sprinkled throughout the space. There was a large fountain as well, with koi fish lazily swimming in the crystal blue waters. Perhaps even more compelling than the beauty of the garden, was the thrumming of magic Link felt around him, as if the earth beneath him was enchanted.

A moment later he found her, the Princess Zelda, hunched over a flower bed with her back to him. She was working by candlelight, and appeared to be digging in the soil.

"Do you enjoy gardening, Link?" she asked.

Link jumped. How had she known he was there? Would she be upset that he'd invaded her privacy?

"I used to garden a lot back on the farm," he replied.

At that she looked up and smiled at him. It was then that Link realized she was in her nightdress.

"I love to garden," the Princess said, "but I never seem to have enough time for it. So I make time."

"What is it you're planting?" Link asked, stepping closer.

"Moonlilies," Zelda answered, turning to pick up a specimen. When she faced him again she had a delicate plant cupped in her hands, soil escaping through her slender fingers as she carefully held it for his inspection. The blossom itself was a pale bluish white.

"Do you see how it emits a glow?" she asked, looking between him and the flower.

"I take it that's how it gained it's name," Link commented and Zelda laughed.

"A clever assumption, Link," she giggled. "You have to transplant them at night if you want them to thrive." Link watched as the Princess settled the plant in the small hole she'd dug before bringing the soil back around it and patting it down. Then she used a small watering can to give it a drink.

"In actuality it's not good to transplant flowers at night," Zelda said. "But I give them a little something extra to keep them happy." The Princess's fingers emitted a bright green glow, and her hands hovered above the plant. Link watched in awe as the somewhat droopy moonlily straightened, suddenly looking quite content in it's new place.

"Were you having trouble sleeping, Link?" the Princess asked him.

"You could say that."

Zelda was setting aside her tools and appeared to be finished with her work for the evening. What Link said next came as a surprise to even him, and certainly surprised the Princess if her wide-eyed look was any indication.

"Would you care for a walk about the garden?"

Getting over her surprise, Zelda grinned; and despite the fact that it was terribly indecent that she was here alone with the Hero without an escort and in nothing but her nightdress, she accepted.

"That sounds lovely, Link. I would like that very much."

So she allowed him to help her to her feet, accepting his arm and following his lead. The couple lost track of time as they walked about the small garden. They remained until the wee hours of the morning, speaking of everything and nothing.

* * *

**_Prestent Day  
_**

**_Hyrule Castle City_**

Link had come to the conclusion that his ex was determined to ruin his life. One moment he was dancing with Zelda, having a fantastic time, the next minute his sister is frantically pulling him off the dance floor saying they have to get home as soon as possible. When he asked his sister what was going on, of course it had to do with Malon. She and her parents were back at the apartment, Dark had said, and they refused to leave until they could talk to him – and wasn't that just the Lonlo way? Steamrolling over people to get whatever they wanted? Oh no, that wouldn't provoke resentment, Link fumed.

So now, instead of having a great time with a beautiful, clever woman, he was in a smelly cab riding home to a very unpleasant scenario. He sighed, staring out the window with tired dark blue eyes. Unfortunately, Link was not yet privy to the claims Malon had made. Aryll kept glancing at him worriedly, wondering how the heck she was supposed to break this news.

"Malon's pregnant," she blurted, deciding to use the old "tear a bandaid off quickly to get the pain over with" principle.

Aryll's words washed over him like a bucket of ice water; Link could've sworn that for a moment his heart stopped beating.

Malon...was pregnant...Holy Farore...

"Is it yours, Link?" his sister's voice cut through his thoughts. "Is the baby yours?"

Link swallowed thickly.

"I guess it's possible..." he replied, his voice nearly a whisper.

Not a word was spoken for the rest of their ride home.

* * *

Meanwhile, back at the apartment, Dark Hero nursed a beer at the kitchen table, trying to calm himself. His arch-nemesis sat on the couch in the other room, flanked by her father and stepmother. He could hear them talking in hushed tones; they were planning.

What did she possibly expect to gain from such a stunt, he thought incredulously. Link's undying affection? Dark shot up from his chair when he heard the front door opening.

"What's going on here?" Link asked the Lonlos who rose upon his entrance.

"Link Hero," Mr Lonlo, dressed impeccably in his expensive suit, spoke first. "What a pity we had to meet under such... unpleasant circumstances."

Link suppressed the urge to roll his eyes; Malon's father was always in business mode. Couple that with his condescending personality and you got a man who was a chore to deal with, even on good days.

"You know, Link..." Mr Lonlo continued, "You were always my favorite among Malon's boyfriends. There's a lot of good-for-nothings out there. So if any one of those men committed a terrible wrong against my daughter, oh I'd be angry of course, but not surprised. And do you know why that is, Link? Because I expect good-for-nothing things from good-for-nothing people. But not from you, Link. I expected better from you. Everyone else lets me down, but not you Link. I'm profoundly disappointed."

Aryll sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. She didn't have the patience for this tonight. (Of course, Aryll Hero had never been a very patient person, but that was besides the point.)

"Can we please skip the patronizing monologue and get to the real issue here?" she asked, crossing her arms. "You know, the reason why you're camping out in my brother's living room without having any right to do so?"

Mr Lonlo glared, as if he was gearing up for war, but for Link, the whole room had condensed to just him and the woman who supposedly carried his child.

"Is it true, Malon?" Link asked softly. The redhead looked at him, her eyes full of emotion. She looked exhausted, Link noted.

"It's true," the young woman replied, cautiously approaching him. "I tried to tell you Link, but you never answered any of my calls; I didn't know what to do..." She took his limp hand in hers. "I was so afraid, Link. I didn't know what you'd say and I was scared."

"I'm pregnant, Link," she continued. "And the baby is yours. We're going to be a family."

Link felt numb.

"Don't you see, Link? We belong together. We have to give it another shot, if only for the sake of the baby..." Malon rallied.

Oh Farore... he could see it now. He'd be Mr. Malon Lonlo, destined for a life climbing the corporate ladder. There'd be country clubs and weekends on the yacht and... a baby...

"I've thought a lot about what you said..." Malon was still talking, he realized.

"Hm?"

"I said I've been thinking about everything you said when we broke up," the redhead clarified, petting his arm in a way that resembled soothing a cornered animal. "Oh Link, I should have been more supportive of your career choices. I made it seem like I don't believe in you, but I do Link, I do."

Mr Lonlo snorted derisively.

"The entertainment industry is fickle, young man," he said. "Would you really subject your family to that financial instability? Not knowing when the next paycheck is coming – where the next meal is coming from..." Mr Lonlo shook his head. "I urge you to reconsider my offer of a job at Lonlo Enterprises, Mr. Hero."

"Daddy!" Malon chided, looking embarrassed.

"Don't you want your family to live comfortably, Mr Hero?" Mrs Lonlo added.

"No one asked for your comment Eleanor," Malon told her stepmother crisply.

"Now SugarPlum," Mr Lonlo interjected. "It's no mystery that you've been accustomed to a certain standard of living... You don't want to raise your child in a heap such as this, do you?"

"Daddy!" Malon exclaimed angrily.

And as if that had been the final straw, Link Hero turned on his heel and walked out of the apartment, closing the door behind him.

"Link!" Malon made to run after him, but Aryll stood in her way, a menacing look on her face.

"Let him go," she said, before adding spitefully. "Farore knows you've made a mess of it this time..."

"She did no such thing!' Mr Lonlo bristled. "If anything she's the victim here! Your brother was ready to leave her high and dry, pregnant with his bastard child!"

Aryll glared at him, gritting her teeth.

"See, that's where you're wrong. My brother had no idea that Malon was pregnant, and instead of doing her best to drop this life changing news to him delicately, she storms in here with her freakin' parents, like you're some kind of secret weapon!" she shook her head with disgust. "You Lonlos...you have no class..."

Aryll took her leave, cursing and muttering under her breath as she stomped down the hallway to the bathroom. Those Lonlo's better be gone by the time she was done, she seethed.

Meanwhile, Dark wasted no time kicking out their unwanted guests.

"Time to go," he drawled holding the door open. "I'm sure you'll be hearing from Link real soon. He probably just needed some time to think..." the Lonlo's shuffled out the door. "Or throw himself off a bridge..." He slammed the door behind them.

* * *

As soon as he set foot on the sidewalk, Link ran. He ran from everything that was happening, from the paralyzing anxiety. He just ran and ran, and didn't look back. He just had to get away; as soon as Mr Lonlo had started talking about plans for the future, the panic set in.

This was a nightmare come to life. He'd finally tasted freedom from Malon and her overbearing family, and now here he was, feeling trapped once more. Link furrowed his brow when something occurred to him. How in the world had she gotten pregnant, anyway? The obvious answer was sex, but when was the last time they'd slept together? It had been months...

In his stupor, Link ran to Hyrule Castle. Approaching the Castle gates, Link clutched the bars resting his forehead against them, wishing that for once he could walk around inside in the gates. Sure, just the sight of the Castle usually calmed him, but tonight he was teetering on the edge of insanity...

Before he knew it he was climbing the fence, hefting himself over the top and dropping to the grounds inside.

Link Hero wandered the castle grounds until dawn. Not once did he notice the specter-like women that watched him from a distance, quietly talking amongst themselves.

* * *

_**The next day...**_

"Oh I'm so glad we did this, girls!" Anju cried. "We never go out just the three of us!"

"You're right, we don't," Zelda agreed, pleasantly. "I'm happy you suggested it, Anju."

The auburn haired girl beamed. Midna ignored them both.

As their group said their goodnights outside the club in the wee hours of the morning, Anju suggested that the girls meet for a late lunch the following afternoon. So after a long morning of ballet practice at the dance studio, Zelda and Midna met their friend at Angel's Cafe, a quaint little establishment not far from home.

They sat at a small table, nibbling on paninis and sipping cappuccinos as they chatted.

"Excuse me for a minute," Anju said, standing up and setting her napkin on the table. "I have to run to the ladies room."

Anju walked off and Zelda glanced at her phone again.

"You staring at it won't make it ring..." Midna said.

"I can't help it, Midna. I'm worried about Link," Zelda replied with a shrug. "He left in such a hurry last night, and I have no idea what's going on..."

Midna, who had already heard the whole story of Link leaving in a rush, simply nodded.

"What if the real reason he left was because of me?" Zelda asked fretfully. "What if I said something to offend him?" Zelda gasped as a thought occurred to her suddenly. "What if he contacted Aryll somehow and told her to pretend there was an emergency in some kind of elaborate plan to get away from me?"

"Zelda!" Midna interrupted, grabbing her arm before she could go into hysterics. "You have got to get a grip."

Zelda blinked; then seemed to deflate.

"Sorry..." she muttered. "It's all I've been able to think about. I could barely sleep last night- I just kept replaying mine and Link's conversations, trying to figure out what went wrong," the blonde confided, suddenly finding her hands quite interesting.

"Zelda, chances are whatever caused him to leave has nothing to do with you," Midna reasoned.

"I guess... but it's still killing me not knowing what's going on. Do you think I should text him?" Zelda asked, picking up her phone.

Midna shrugged.

"Sure, why not?"

"I need a more definitive answer," Zelda grumped before taking a sip of her cappuccino.

"Ugh, _fine. _Yes Zelda, text Link. Ask him why he left in such a hurry and while you're at it, ask him when he thinks he'll be ready to begin your torrid love affair."

Zelda choked on her drink at Midna's comment, coughing and sputtering, and nearly shooting cappuccino out her nostrils.

"Goddesses, Midna," the blonde managed to say at last once she could breathe again. "We're just friends, nothing more..."

"So you're not attracted to him at all?" was Midna's reply and Zelda went silent, knowing her friend was right.

"That's what I thought." Midna said smugly.

"It's not that easy, Midna," Zelda replied with a sigh. "It's not as easy as just liking someone. I don't want to let myself like him unless there's a chance he could like me too. And right now, I know he thinks of me as a friend... so I'm trying to keep it at that..."

"I get it Zelda, but there's nothing wrong with putting a few clues out there to let him know what you're thinking."

"You know that's not as simple as you say," Zelda replied knowingly. It was in that moment that Midna realized Zelda knew how she felt about Sheik.

Of course, this was when Anju came back from the women's room.

"Sorry I took so long," she said. "There was a line and I-"

Anju sat back in her seat, regarding her friends with curious blue eyes.

"What were you two talking about?" she asked.

Both women were silent, but eyed each other in warning.

"You were talking about something while I was gone, and then you stopped when I came back..." Anju surmised. "You can tell me too. You can tell me anything!"

Of course they could, Zelda thought, but then all of Castle City would know about it by the next day. Anju was many things: sweet, loyal, and compassionate to a fault, but she was not discreet and the woman couldn't keep a secret to save her life.

"It's nothing," Zelda said. "Just, I haven't heard from Link since he left Vapor last night and I'm a little worried."

"Ooooh! I knew it!" Anju said, clapping her hands excitedly in a way that reminded Midna of a trained seal. "Somehow I knew it was about this mysterious Link person..."

"He's not really mysterious. Any of you could have met him last night..." Zelda reasoned. "Actually I was just about to text him," Zelda muttered, taking her phone and punching in the beginnings of a text. Hi Link, it's Zelda... it read so far and Zelda hated it instantly. Deleted...

"Speaking of last night," Anju leaned forward, lowering her voice conspiratorially. "What was going on with you and Sheik last night, Midna?"

Zelda looked up from her phone, an evil cheshire grin on her face. Oh yes, this she definitely wanted to hear.

At the moment, Midna looked unruffled by Anju's question, but inside she was anything but.

"Nothing was going on, " she replied evenly. "I tripped and accidentally broke my shoe. Sheik took me to the store to get a new pair." This was the edited version of what had happened, and it was all nosey Anju would get.

"Aw, you're no fun at all..." Anju pouted.

Zelda laughed when Midna simply shrugged in response.

After all, even Midna didn't truly understand the new dynamic to her and Sheik's relationship, if it could even be called such. Last night had been the first she'd danced almost exclusively with Sheik, when they'd spent so much time paired off. Sheik carrying her on his back all the way to ValueMart, waiting patiently as she tried on several pairs of shoes, and then surprising her once more by purchasing them once they reached the check-out – it was the nicest thing any man had ever done for her. Not to mention riding on his back - pressed up against his bulging muscles - had been a serious turn on. Upon their return to the club, they'd been separated once more with the reappearance of Zelda, Vaati and Mikau. So although their adventure hadn't been the starting point of a romantic relationship, there was definitely a new dynamic to their friendship - one that Midna was excited to explore. She didn't need Anju's speculation to ruin what might be developing between them. Zelda on the other hand, well, she wouldn't mind talking to Zelda about everything, but she hadn't wanted to make her best friend uncomfortable. Maybe her fears had been unfounded.

Meanwhile, Zelda frowned at the latest text she'd entered. Good afternoon, Link! I hope all is well... Ugh, deleted.

"Okay. Seriously?" Midna scoffed, grabbing the phone from her. Zelda yelped in dismay trying to get back the device but to no avail. Midna's thumbs moved across the keyboard as she quickly typed in a message and hit send.

"There," she said, handing Zelda back her cell.

"You had no right to do that, Midna! What did you say?!" Zelda exclaimed, quickly bringing up her sent messages folder.

It read: Hey Link, just wanted to make sure everything was okay. -Zelda

She approved.

"Short, concise, to the point," Midna said.

"You really like this Link guy, don't you?" Anju asked, smiling softly.

Zelda suppressed the urge to roll her eyes. Was she that obvious about all her innermost feelings?

"I do like him, yes..." Zelda admitted, "but like I told Midna earlier, I won't let myself go past a certain point until I have more of an idea how he feels about me. He just got out of a relationship that was kind of awful, and well, I don't blame him for wanting to be single for a while."

"Well in the meantime, just flirt a little," Anju suggested. "You don't have to profess your undying love for him, just show him that you're open to that kind of thing. That's the best way to see if he's interested."

"I suck at flirting," the blonde lamented.

"No you don't," Anju retorted quickly. "You're just out of practice. And at the end of the day Zelda, you're so stunningly pretty, that you don't really have to do much. Just complement him; tell him you love talking with him and that you find him fascinating."

Zelda furrowed her brow in interest as Anju continued.

"Always keep your body language open," the redhead counseled. "Touch him, brush past him... that kind of thing..."

Midna shook her head, stifling a laugh at the way Zelda was blushing.

"I think Zelda can be naturally flirtatious," the Twili girl said. "And sometimes men like the whole shy innocent spiel." Midna smiled in mock-flirtation. "It sure gets _my_ engine running," she told Zelda with a wink.

"Oh stop it," Zelda muttered peevishly.

"Just promise me that you'll try some of the suggestions the next time you see Link," Anju cajoled.

"Fine..."

"And you have to invite him to hang out with our group," Midna added. "So I can figure out if I approve or not..."

"At this point I don't even know when I'll see him again..."

"Stop worrying about it," Midna said.

"I'm trying! Ugh can we change the subject please?" Zelda begged.

"Well, I might have some interesting news," Anju began.

"Spill it,"

"I don't have any solid evidence but there have been a few clues," Anju confided. "I think Kafei may be planning to propose soon..."

The mood at the table changed instantly.

"Oh my goddesses, Anju that's huge!' Zelda exclaimed, wide-eyed.

"What do you mean clues?" Midna asked leaning forward.

"Well, a few days ago my Grandpa told me that Kafei had been to visit my parents, but I had no idea he'd been there. Kafei never goes to see my parents without me. He said that Kafei had a long talk with my Dad..."

"Holy crap! He could have been getting your father's blessing!" Zelda cried.

"Woah," was all Midna had to add on the matter.

"Then the other day I was cleaning the apartment when I found some pamphlets from a jewelers uptown. It was some place that makes custom jewelry, including engagement rings..."

Midna and Zelda's eyes were huge.

"That's so exciting," Zelda said. "Holy Nayru, I'm so excited for you!" With that, the petite blonde was out of her chair, hurrying to embrace her likely-to-be-engaged-soon friend. Midna followed suit- even though Anju annoyed her more often than not, it was still quite exciting news and she was happy for her.

"It's been the hardest thing in the world not just asking him about everything, but I'd hate to ruin the surprise. Kafei is so romantic," Anju said dreamily, her eyes sparkling. "I'm sure whatever he plans will be something I'll never forget."

As she sat listening to her friend, for the first time in a while, Zelda felt intensely jealous. Anju was so in love with Kafei and Kafei obviously loved her in return. When would it be her turn, she wondered.

This thought had just passed through her mind when her phone chimed, signaling that she'd gotten a text message.

"It's him!" Anju cried, excitedly.

Zelda looked at her phone warily. She was so nervous to see what he said...

"For crying out loud, will you read it already?" Midna exclaimed.

"Fine!" Zelda turned her phone over to see the screen. It was indeed from Link...

"Read it out loud!" Anju said.

"Hey Zelda, I'm okay. Just had some things to sort out last night, kind of a family emergency. Everyone is fine and sorry I had to leave in such a hurry last night. I'll call you later. -Link," Zelda read.

"See, don't you feel silly now for worrying so much?" Anju asked with a grin.

"I told you it had nothing to do with you," Midna commented.

Zelda said nothing, setting her phone aside and hiding her smile behind her mug.

Zelda's newfound contentment was short lived. Three hours later she was waiting tables at Blues when a sudden, intense wave of nausea brought her to her knees. Another waitress helped her to the bathroom where she promptly emptied her stomach into the toilet.

Mr Ingo cut her shift before she could blink; nothing was worse for business than vomiting waitresses, he'd said. Midna was excused as well, to accompany her home.

Now she lay in bed, her head pounding and throat raw...

"Where's the patient?" Zelda heard Sheik saying in the other room. He'd just gotten home from work apparently.

"In bed," Midna said. "I'm just grabbing the thermometer and some ginger-ale for her stomach."

"Man, this is terrible timing..." Zelda thought Sheik sounded nervous.

"Yeah, because she chose tonight to come down with flu," Midna snorted. "What's the big deal?"

Zelda's brows knit together, confused.

A few moments later, Sheik's shaggy blonde head appeared in her bedroom doorway. He winced at the redness in her cheeks and the sheen of sweat on her brow; his sister did not look good at all.

"It was that evil panini..." Zelda said hoarsely and Sheik chuckled, plopping down in bed with her.

"Midna thinks you have the flu," he said.

"Then you should be careful not to get too close to me," Zelda replied, slinking further beneath the covers.

"Oh, I'll be fine, because I got a flu shot remember? All the teachers at the dojo had to get one this year..."

Zelda nodded, remembering how Sheik had encouraged her to go get one as well.

"Don't you wish you got one now?" her brother sang.

"Shut up!" Zelda replied. "Don't tease me, I'm sick..."

"Well it's a shame just the same," Sheik sighed. "Take a look at the flyer Mikau and I found today."

He reached in his duffle and pulled out a neon green flyer, handing it to her. She sat up, pushing her bangs from her eyes.

**ATTENTION ALL DANCERS**

**Auditions being held in Media City, Termina for Illumination,**

**an exciting new live show that combines the wonders of light**

**with the power of dance**

**All dancers aged 18-35 are welcome to audition**

**Must be proficient in the genre of Hip Hop**

**Don't miss this once in a lifetime opportunity to be a part of this revolution in the world of dance**

**Auditions will be held at the Paragon Theatre**

**June 12th-14th**

"The auditions started today," Zelda commented looking up from the paper.

"Yep. And end Sunday..." Sheik added nonchalantly as Midna entered the bedroom.

"Why are you sitting up?" she asked, before eyeing the flier in Zelda's hands. "What's that?"

"See for yourself," Zelda replied, passing it to her.

"Here put this under your tongue," Midna responded, handing the blonde the thermometer as she took the sheet. Her eyes roved along the bold lettering.

"This sounds awesome," she finally said. She looked to Sheik. "You want to try out?"

"Not now," Sheik replied. "We'd have to go tomorrow and there's no way Zelda can go feeling like this. Mikau and Vaati are going either way, though. It'll be cool to see how they measure up compared to professional dancers."

"Sheik, you don't have to stay home because of me," Zelda said.

"Shush, Zel. Don't talk. It'll mess with the reading."

The blonde frowned, but remained silent, laying back against her fluffy pillows.

"Here, let's look up Illumination online," Midna said grabbing Zelda's laptop. She climbed in bed between Zelda and Sheik, flipping the computer open as the siblings looked on in curiosity. Without much searching, Midna pulled up the woman behind the show. Apparently many renowned critics had nothing but good things to say concerning Nabooru Amara, the accomplished Director, Co-Producer and creator of the new production. She was a dignified Gerudo woman, stunningly pretty, Midna noted. A tiny jealous impulse in the back of her mind wondered if Sheik thought Nabooru Amara was pretty...

Oh Goddesses, there was no hope for her...

The thermometer chimed; Zelda had a temperature of 103.7 Midna announced.

"You don't have to stay home because of me," Zelda said earnestly as soon as her mouth was free. "Go with the boys! Have a good time! You too, Midna. There's no reason for you guys to miss out because of me..."

Sheik and Midna exchanged glances.

* * *

Early the next morning...

At 4:30 am Mikau and Vaati arrived at the apartment with a cab to take them to the train station. It was a five hour train ride to Media City, Termina- thus the early start.

Midna and Sheik stood by the door, fully dressed with their duffles slung over their shoulders, opposite Zelda in her fluffy pink bathrobe, her eyes glazed from sickness.

"Remember to stay hydrated," Midna said. "And get plenty of rest..."

"Stop worrying, I'll be fine..." Zelda assured drowsily.

"We'll call you when we arrive in Media City," Sheik told his sister, leaning down to kiss her on the forehead.

"Do your best..." she whispered.

"I will, Zel."

And then, after a bear hug from Midna, they were gone.

Zelda slumped back into her bedroom, too sick to feel depressed, and too exhausted to think of anything except sleep.

Around 10, the phone rang. Thinking it was Midna or Sheik, Zelda quickly grabbed her cell.

The caller Id showed neither; it was Link!

"Hello?" she answered blearily.

"Hey, Zelda?" Link asked. "Are you alright? You don't sound so good."

"I'm sick," she replied.

"What do you have? A cold?"

"No, the flu. Ugh, I'm so miserable and achey, and I've been throwing up like crazy."

"Has Midna been taking care of you?"

"Actually, all my friends are out of town," she lamented. "But I'm fine. Just hanging out," she chuckled since she was literally hanging off her bed in her current position.

"Well do you need anything from the store, like medicine or something?" Link pressed.

"Aww, you're so sweet, but I'm fine, really."

"Okay then. Well, I'll be over within 30 minutes or so. I'll see you soon."

Link hung up before Zelda could protest.

Zelda blinked, her poor beleaguered mind struggling to catch up with what had just happened. Was he seriously coming over? Oh no! She looked awful! Zelda was running on pure adrenaline when she leapt from the couch, running to her room to throw on a pair of yoga pants and a tank top. After inspecting herself in the mirror she got to work tidying the house the best she could.

Link stopped at the market on his way to Zelda's apartment, just to pick up a few things. What was good for upset stomach and nausea? Ginger-ale, saltine crackers and popsicles? Sure why not?

A good question to ask at the moment was, why in the world was Link headed to Zelda's house when he had just rekindled his relationship with his ex the day before?

Well, "rekindled" wasn't the best word. Maybe "patched up" was a better term. Nevertheless, he and Malon were officially back together. Link wasn't sure how it had happened, but it did. He was off the market once more...

Aryll had been absolutely disgusted and bitterly disappointed. Get a paternity test, were the last things she said to him before stepping onto the bus headed for Ordon. But Link wasn't so insensitive that he'd demand such a thing with no evidence that Malon had cheated on him – other than the fact that she'd done it before...

Ugh, back to the million dollar question. Why was he, a man with a girlfriend and baby on the way (that thought still sent his brain into a tailspin) going to take care of Zelda, his attractive female friend he'd just met?

The answer was quite simple really. He missed her. He missed her and he wanted to see her, and that was that.

It was downright weird, Link thought as he walked along the sidewalk grocery bags in arm, how there were some people who just seemed to waltz into your life and it was as if they instantly belonged there. The first person with which Link experienced this phenomena was his cousin, Dark, when one day, a five year old Link came home from school and was quite surprised to discover a boy sitting quietly at the kitchen table. Gram introduced the raven haired child as Link's cousin Dark. Since Aryll, being an infant, was not much fun to play with, Link was thrilled at this turn of events. That day, Dark Hero joined Link and Aryll at Gram's house, and the small family never looked back.

Then, many years later, another person appeared in his life. Her name was Zelda; she was smart and funny and he found himself so ridiculously fascinated by her, that it was bordering on obsessive. Never in his life had he ever experienced such a draw toward another person.

It was okay to be with Malon but still get closer to Zelda right? Plenty of people had platonic friendships with people of the opposite sex, he reasoned, although telling Zelda about Malon would be very difficult. He knew he had to do it though, even if she hated him afterward. Now that was a thought that had him pausing in his steps; by now he was standing on the stoop outside the Harkinian's apartment.

Oh Farore, what would he do if Zelda hated him? A whisper in the back of his mind supplied the answer, so seamless that it seemed like his own idea. Y_ou would do whatever it takes to make it up to her._ Satisfied with that notion, he buzzed the intercom outside the door.

Later on, Link would look back and think what a fool he had been to believe he could be close to Zelda and not get in completely over his head. But for now he faced their upcoming meeting with all the concern befitting a person visiting a dear friend who was miserably ill, and for now it would be enough to content him.

Zelda looked up, startled by the sound of the buzzer. Had thirty minutes passed already, she wondered glancing at the cable box. She'd been running about the apartment in an attempt to make everything presentable, and had completely lost track of time.

_He was here_, she thought with a smile.

Zelda hurried to answer the door, grinning happily when she saw the one and only Link Hero, standing on her doormat with a bag of groceries cradled in his arm and that lopsided smile on her face. And then the unthinkable happened.

She opened her mouth, intending to say hello, but so much more came rushing out, and there was nothing Zelda could do but close her eyes and hold on as she wretched all over Link's shoes.

Why? Zelda wanted to ask the goddesses. Just why? Why her?

"Oh goddesses! Link I'm so sorry!" the horrified woman exclaimed. She hurried to wet some paper towels under the kitchen tap leaving Link in the doorway. Link gingerly removed his vomit covered sneakers and looked up with a sympathetic smile.

"Don't worry, I entered at my own risk. Why are you out of bed?" He asked, setting the bags on the small dining room table. Link turned to the girl who was now on her knees frantically scrubbing his shoes.

"Zelda, really you should be resting." He said, moving the shoes away from her and guiding her to her feet.

"I think some got some on your pants..." she murmured.

"Don't worry about it Zelda, I'll get it in a minute,"Link noticed she appeared to be swaying; he guided her to lean against him for support. He brought his hand to her forehead."Wow you're burning up," he observed. "Are you feeling weak?"

She nodded feebly against his chest.

"I'm so sorry about your shoes," she muttered. "I haven't been this sick in a long time."

Link shook his head, unable to keep the smile from his face. Zelda had a way of being adorable at the oddest times...

"Comon you need to lay down," he said.

"I'm on the couch..." Zelda started towards the living room and Link followed.

* * *

Link had Zelda all set up and cozy on the sofa. The petite woman was laying in a nest of blankets with a fresh glass of ginger-ale beside her on the end table, and a strawberry popsicle in hand. Link allowed her to chose a movie to watch out of a selection he'd brought and after popping the dvd in, he went to settle himself in the armchair.

"You can sit on the couch, Link. There's plenty of room," she offered.

Link looked at the empty space at the end of the couch.

"I'm not gonna bite you," Zelda teased.

"It's the throw up I'm worried about." He chuckled.

"If you sit there you have to watch tv at an odd angle. Just sit over here."

"Ok then."

He crossed the room and sat down at the opposite end of the sofa. Zelda looked sated for the moment, her eyes drowsy as she worked on her popsicle.

"So did Aryll make it home safely?"

"She did."

"She's such a sweetheart," Zelda said. "Did she enjoy her stay?"

"For the most part..." Until I got back together with my ex who I impregnated by the way, he added mentally.

"Oh I forgot, she got the flu when she first arrived didn't she? So her trip wasn't all fun and games..."

"Yeah she was pretty sick..."

"And she had to deal with the laundry mountain," Zelda giggled. "The smelly laundry mountain with fungi growing at the bottom..."

Link rolled his eyes.

"I never asked her to do my laundry," he said. Then, "And there were no fungus growing in the pile, Zelda. She was joking."

"Whatever you say..." Zelda chuckled.

Link shook his head, but the corners of his mouth quirked up belaying his amusement.

"It was sweet of you to come," she added after a moment, her voice suddenly shy.

"Anything for you, Zel," He replied with a lopsided grin, their eyes meeting for a moment before Zelda averted her eyes, looking back at the television.

Link's expression turned pensive; he needed to tell her about Malon, but the words wouldn't come.

* * *

Later on that afternoon, Zelda's fever had yet to break. She'd slept on and off all day. Since she hadn't eaten anything, the vomiting had subsided for the most part, but it was obvious she was very uncomfortable.

On a lighter note, it had become apparent that fever gave Zelda loose lips. Link found himself entertained with many a story from her childhood, some terribly embarrassing but all definitely hilarious. It was obvious her inhibitions were lowered, especially when she made the following request:

"Hey Link? Do you think you could rub my back?"

Link looked up at Zelda who had just come out of the bathroom. Her eyes were all glassy and a sheen of sweat covered her brow. Maybe he had heard her wrong...

"Come again?" he asked.

"If I lay down will you rub my back please? My body hurts from all the puking."

"Oh...erm...I, well I guess."

"You don't have to..."

"No, no it's fine. I don't mind."

"Can we do it in my room?" she asked. "That way I can lay on the bed."

And then she was gone, disappearing into her bedroom and obviously expecting him to follow.

Link was hesitant as he rose from the couch. Why had he just agreed to that? Surely there was a rule about massaging other women's backs when you had a girlfriend... who was pregnant!

But Zelda was his friend, he reasoned. And she needed him. The excuse was frail even in his own mind...

This was it, he decided. He would tell her right now.

Link steeled himself; he walked across the living room and down the hall, coming to a stop in Zelda's doorway. And then his jaw dropped so hard it was a miracle it didn't hit the floor.

Zelda lay facedown on the bed, topless – her lithe golden tanned back completely bare to his gaze. Few things were as sensual to Link as a woman's back – and seeing Zelda like this, well – it knocked all other thoughts from his mind.

"Link?" Zelda turned her head so she could see him. "I'm sorry," she said, referring to her indecent state. "I'm just really warm, and you can't really see anything..."

Link's feet seemed to move toward the bed of their own accord. It was just a back rub, he told himself. He was making a big deal out of nothing...

"Ummm, I've never given a back rub before..." He admitted sheepishly, holding his hands above her as if he were about to perform surgery.

"If you could just rub around my shoulders and upper back, I think that would really help," Zelda replied.

"Alright."

Link lowered both his hands to her back, still in disbelief that this was happening. He reveled in the feeling of her body beneath his fingertips. She was so soft, yet strong; toned muscle lay beneath her smooth skin – she had the body of a dancer.

"That feels so good..." Zelda said in a half moan; she had sunken bonelessly into her mattress as Link kneaded her sore muscles.

Link had not been this turned on in a very long time; he knew he needed to stop- and yet he just kept on massaging. When he finished with her shoulders he worked his way down her spine. He silently thanked Farore when he heard Zelda's light snoring.

The conflicted young man brought the comforter up over her body, his heart heavy. He should leave, he thought. He flicked off the light switch and stepped out into the hallway; he'd almost shut her bedroom door when he heard her call his name.

"What's that Zelda?" he asked, opening the door again.

She was sitting up in bed, her hair a disheveled mess and Link thought she looked beautiful. He was in big trouble...

"Something's been bothering you all day," she commented, her expression serious. "And I think I know what it is..."

Link gulped. Was Zelda clairvoyant or something?

"You're worried about getting close to me because of your last relationship," Zelda said. "and I get it. But you don't have to worry about that kind of stuff with me. I like having you as a friend; you've quickly become one of my best friends."

"I know you had issues with that Malon woman, but your relationship with her has nothing to do with our friendship."

Link smiled softly. Zelda was doing that thing again when she being was cute and not trying to be...

"I have to take a nap," she said, her head beginning to bow due to drowsiness. "Are you leaving?"

"No," he answered with a smile.

"I can scootch over..." she offered, doing just that, and Link – feeling better than he had all day – climbed into the bed without preamble. Zelda slipped her shirt back on and the two snuggled together like two peas in a pod. And as for Link - whose entire world had practically crumbled around him just yesterday - he had found a sanctuary in Zelda.

Of course, Zelda had no way of knowing it then, but she had just shot herself in the foot with her earnest speech. She had meant to allay any fears on Link's behalf; if he had thought she expected things from him. In reality Zelda's words helped Link justify his new idea: that he simply wouldn't tell the women about one another.

As long as he and Zelda could stay completely platonic, he figured there was no reason why he couldn't keep seeing her. After all, he would have a baby to think of soon, and he was sure it was only a matter of time before Malon would be micromanaging his life again...

He would be selfish for once – while he still had a life of his own.

* * *

_**1. So... Link and Malon get back together in this version. Are you mad? Sorry... it happened. **_

_**2. This chapter was over 8,000 words long, it just kept going and going...**_

_**3. I'm sorry to anyone who feels the story is going too slow. These are all the chapters I was kind of ashamed of in the old version, so I'm so happy to redo them and add dialogue and such. At the end of the day I just want to improve my writing, and I feel like I'm slowly but surely doing just that:) I think that the Redux will end up catching up to the plot of the old version in not as many chapters, but as you can see there are changes to the plot already in the Redux. I lost a few favorites the last update and I cried... Okay, no I didn't...  
**_

_**4. So review? I made cookies for anyone who reviews. They're hot out of the oven! hehe**_

_**5. The next update will probably be in about two weeks. **_

_**Thanks for reading!**_


	7. GoldieLinks

_**Hope you like it! For re-readers there are a few changes from the first time around... I do not own LOZ  
**_

* * *

**She Can Move**

**Chapter Seven: GoldieLinks  
**

_A week had passed since their first nighttime stroll and Link was still sneaking into Zelda's private gardens to visit with her. He'd done so every night, in fact. As long as she did not turn him away he would return; Link dared to think that she enjoyed their nightly visits._

_Tonight Link was sitting in the Princess' private garden beneath a large tree, his back and head resting against the aged bark. He was desperately trying not to laugh at Zelda who was attempting to climb said tree in her nightdress. Link closed his eyes, enjoying being there and relaxing after a very long day of hard labor._

"_You're going to fall and break your neck," he warned. Her slippered foot was caught in the v of two branches and she'd hardly made any progress yet. _

"_While I appreciate your concern, I'll have you know that I used to be quite proficient at tree-climbing, Link," Zelda replied, her leg twisting this way and that as she tried to ease her foot out. "Aha! There we are," she said when she succeeded. "I believe my footwear is the issue."_

_Link smiled at the two dainty embroidered slippers that dropped to the grass by his feet, one after the other._

"_Now we shall get somewhere," he heard her mutter. There was the rustle of leaves and when Link looked up a moment later to check on her progress, she was gone._

"_Oh, Link! You must come up here!" Zelda called softly from above. "There isn't a cloud in the sky and you can see all the stars!" The Princess was sitting near the top so that her head was above the leaves. Link popped up beside her, grinning when she jumped in surprise._

"_It seems you are rather skilled at climbing trees as well," she giggled behind her hand, blue eyes sparkling. Link just shrugged, ever modest, while looking for a place to settle himself._

"_Growing up in Ordon on the farm.. well, there were plenty of trees to climb," he explained._

"_What was it like growing up in Ordon?"_

"_It was alright I guess. Ordon is a very small town, so it's pretty close knit. Everyone knows everyone," Link adjusted himself in his place again to be sure he wouldn't fall, then continued. "I used to be a goat herder, you know. I would take the goats out to pasture in the morning, and bring them back to the village at night. I know it doesn't sound like much, but it was tough work at times. Ilia would tag along to help, though. Most of the time."_

_Link noticed Zelda's brows knit at the mention of Ilia; she was probably racking her brain trying to remember if she'd ever met the girl._

"_Ilia's one of my good friends back home," Link supplied. "We grew up together. Her father is Mayor Bo.."_

"_Ah. Yes, I know that name," the Princess replied pleasantly. "Tell me, Link. Do you miss your hometown?"_

"_Do I miss Ordon?" he asked aloud, leaning back to recline comfortably. "I suppose I should, shouldn't I?"_

_Zelda let out a laugh._

"_Well, it is the place you grew up," she offered. "It would be understandable."_

"_And yet somehow I do not miss it – or not yet at least."_

_If Zelda was surprised by his statement she didn't show it._

"_Perhaps not enough time has transpired," she commented._

"_I don't know. To be honest..." he trailed off, unsure if he should continue, when a pale hand appeared on his forearm; comforting. Hesitant dark blue eyes met sky blue ones, and Zelda smiled sweetly. _

"_You are not obliged to share your private thoughts with me, but if you are so inclined, please know you can always speak freely with me. I would never betray your confidence. I think of you as a dear friend, Link."_

_Link, for his part, found himself mesmerized with her eyes; at the way the soft breeze played with wisps of her hair, and the supple skin of her bare shoulders. And then he remembered who she was and who he was. The Hero of Twilight sighed. She was just so beautiful it was difficult to focus, he realized. But back to the issue at hand: Why he didn't miss Ordon._

"_I guess I could explain it like this," he began. "Before my journey I could have easily spent my whole life in Ordon and be perfectly content. Everyone wanted Ilia and I to get married – expected it even - and perhaps that would have happened. Perhaps I would have been the next Mayor of Ordon. But then I found my calling..."_

_Zelda's head tilted thoughtfully, her fingers playing with a leaf._

"_After traveling and seeing so many places, after meeting so many different people, after all the adventures Midna and I shared, going back to life in Ordon was... different. I felt like I didn't fit into my life anymore. I had changed a lot, and it was quite frustrating to say the least..."_

_Zelda nodded._

"_It must have been difficult for Midna to be gone so suddenly," she observed. "You hardly got to say good-bye..."_

"_I will admit that was very difficult. She had, after all, experienced everything I had. It would have been nice to talk with her before she left and thank for her for everything she did for me," Link paused, quirked a brow. "Although it must've been rather difficult for you as well, or perhaps even moreso..."_

_Zelda smiled softly._

"_You are referring to the time our souls were joined," she surmised and Link nodded. "Ah yes, I suppose Queen Midna and I will always have a special bond. Perhaps some other time I shall tell you all about it." Link noticed the smirk she wore: such a tease..._

"_I'll look forward to that," Link replied, then watched her as she looked back up to the sky. A moment later he too gazed skyward to admire the sparkling stars._

_Zelda was so strange, he thought, but in a good way. She was unpredictable and refreshing, and he found himself wanting to be near her as much as he could. She was a mystery to him, one he desperately wanted to understand._

"_I think of you as a dear friend also," he added. He didn't look at her as he said this – as he was hoping to avoid blushing – so he missed the smile that spread across her lips at his words and the sudden softness in her cornflower gaze._

* * *

Link's thought, as he turned over beneath the nice warm comforter, was that he hadn't slept so soundly in forever. Zelda's bed was so cozy, like sleeping on a cloud and the sheets smelled sweet, like pretty girl smell and fabric softener. When he blearily opened his eyes he smiled at the tangled platinum blonde mess that was Zelda's hair peeking from under the blankets.

"Are you awake, Link?" a sleepy voice suddenly asked.

"Yeah I just woke up," he replied, propping himself up on an elbow. "How are you feeling?"

"Not so good.." Zelda sat up and Link was alarmed to see her all flushed and sweaty. Her eyes were heavily lidded and she looked exhausted despite her long nap. Had her fever gotten worse?

"Would you mind getting the thermometer from the other room?" she asked.

"Of course not. I'll be right back," Link hopped up and left the room. It was when he passed through the living room that his cell started ringing. Grabbing the thermometer from the table, he picked up his phone from the couch. The caller ID displayed Malon's number. He felt terribly guilty when he let it go to voicemail. After all, he was doing nothing wrong by being here. He was caring for a sick friend! Link frowned. Why had he left his cell out here anyway? Oh yeah... Zelda's impromptu massage. Goddesses, he should not be thinking of that for the sake of his own sanity! (Even as he decided this, a memory passed through his mind unbidden: the twin dimples flanking Zelda's tailbone. Dang, that girl had a beautiful back. It was a sight he was sure he'd never forget.) Link huffed.

Since when had he become such a pervert?

Walking back into Zelda's room his phone rang again. He tossed Zelda the thermometer.

"Someone's really trying to get in touch with you," she observed.

"Yeah..."

"Aren't you going to pick it up? It doesn't bother me."

"It can wait. How about I heat up some soup?"

* * *

They sat across from one another at the dining room table, steaming bowls of chicken noodle soup placed before them.

"I don't know how much I can eat," Zelda said, eyeing her bowl.

"That's okay. Just try to drink as much broth as you can."

She brought a tablespoon of broth to her lips without complaint. They ate in companionable silence, and Link watched her carefully as she finished her meal.

"I hate to say it, but if your fever doesn't go down soon I think I should take you to the hospital," he said.

"It went down..."

"Yeah by a few fractions of a degree."

"You worry too much," she replied, then chuckled a little.

"What's so funny?" Link asked with a smirk.

"I don't know..." she laughed, shaking her head.

"It had to be something pretty good..."

"I'm sorry," Zelda choked out. "I honestly... have no idea... why I'm laughing..."

Link smiled. She was really cracking up!

"I think your fever is messing with your head," he finally said.

"I think... you're right," she giggled, a tear rolling down her cheek. She leaned down to rest her forehead on the table, her shoulders heaving with laughter all the while. When she finally peeked back up at his grinning face, another round of laughter began in earnest.

* * *

In Media City...

"There's the Paragon," Vaati announced pointing to a huge building in the distance. Once their train arrived at Ikana Train Station, the friends quickly got directions to the Paragon, which was thankfully not very far a walk. The building was beautiful and contemporary; what appeared to be the lobby was surrounded by huge floor to ceiling windows and Midna could see the crowds of people milling about inside.

"Everybody ready for this?" Mikau asked the group with a grin.

"I guess I'm as ready as I'll ever be," Sheik replied with a shrug.

"I can't believe this," Midna nudged him with her elbow as they walked side by side. "Are you actually nervous?"

"Not at all," Sheik scoffed. "I guess it's just bigger than I expected..."

Upon their entrance into the Paragon Theatre the friends got in line for registration to get their individual audition numbers. There was obviously a huge turnout, which showed that Illumination was, in fact, a bigger deal than any of them had realized. After waiting in line for over an hour it was nice to finally sit – even if it was only where they could find empty space on the floor.. Mikau and Vaati unceremoniously dropped their duffles next to Midna before going "browsing" for women, as Vaati so eloquently put it. They had a while to wait, since everyone was being called by number and they were far from the first to arrive.

Currently, two young ladies (Midna used that term loosely) were eyeing Sheik up something fierce from across the room. It irked Midna to no end, the women that threw themselves at him. Surely Sheik was aware of it but as always he seemed unperturbed by the attention. He never seemed to care, did he? Midna shook her head at the thought and decided to focus on her stretching. After all, even if there was mutual attraction there, Sheik hadn't said anything since their flirt fest at the club, and certainly nothing to indicate he wanted a relationship with her. Of course, she could just ask him what he felt and skip all the guesswork but poor Midna, despite her brash nature, wasn't so straightforward when it came to matters of the heart. "Sheik has no commitments to me," – this was her new mantra.

Some time later, Midna left to find the restroom. Sensing an opportunity the two young women sauntered up to Sheik who was still seated on the floor. He stood up so they wouldn't be towering over him.

"Hi, what's your name?" the first one asked. Both girls were very pretty and Sheik could tell by their features that they were Gerudos. They had the deep, red hair, and the prominent noses along with tan skin. The first had green eyes and the other had brown. "My name is Alejandra and this is Katrina." Her friend smiled. Clearly she was the shier of the two.

"I'm Sheik Harkinian," He offered and the two girls grinned coyly. Alejandra began to move in, seriously invading his personal space.

"Uh.."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Sheik," she laid a hand on his upper arm obviously wanting to touch his bicep. "You're pretty cute, you know. Got a girlfriend?" Sheik was really uncomfortable at this point but when he saw Midna he had an idea.

When Midna walked out of the bathroom and she saw the three of them talking, she could have sworn she felt her heart fall down into her stomach. "Sheik has no commitments to me..." she tried to remind herself. Against her better judgement she decided to walk over. What did she have to lose? She was surprised that when Sheik saw her, instead of just continuing his conversation he smiled brightly and waved.

"Hey Sweetheart!" he called.

Midna froze. _Sweetheart?_

"Com'ere babe!" he called again, his eyes widening. _Babe?_ Midna hesitantly complied, pleased when the Gerudo woman removed her hand from Sheik's arm. When Midna reached his side, Sheik took her into his arms like a boyfriend would. "Ladies, this is my girlfriend, Midna."

"Oh... I see," To her credit, Alejandra did try to be polite whereas Katrina was practically scowling. "Nice to meet you."

"The pleasure's all mine," Midna replied, extending her hand. The dismayed women took turns shaking her hand, one after the other.

"Well we really should be going." Alejandra spoke for the two of them. And with that they walked off, no doubt toward some other unsuspecting male, leaving Sheik and Midna standing there alone.

"So..." Midna began.

"Sorry about that," Sheik said, releasing her. "I hope I didn't embarrass you. They were coming on a little strong so when I saw you I..."

"No worries," Midna smirked, blushing slightly. "I don't mind being your pretend girlfriend to keep your fangirls at bay." He chuckled deeply. Sitting back down, Midna rifled through her duffle for a protein-bar.

"Why don't you have a boyfriend?" Sheik asked out of nowhere as he too sat back on the floor.

The Twili woman faltered in her search for a moment, then continued rooting about her duffle as she replied.

"I have dated a few guys, but none of them seemed really compatible to me. I guess at this point in my life I'm not big on wasting time, you know?"

"So you haven't met the right person yet?" he asked and she couldn't help but smile. She turned toward him, bar in hand.

"There is someone but I'm not sure how he feels about me."

Sheik was silent for a while before Midna gathered the courage to ask _him_ why _he_ didn't have a girlfriend.

"That's funny you ask that," Sheik laughed softly. "because a few weeks ago Zelda and I had a conversation about this. I guess I've just been so busy I haven't really thought about it. I know what you mean about wasting time."

"So you haven't met anyone that interests you?"

"Well there is one woman I have known for a long time, but I'm not sure if she would be interested in me romantically," He had a very intense look in his eyes as he said this, one that made butterflies dance in her stomach. Goddesses he was sexy...

"I'm sure any girl would jump at a chance to date you," Midna replied before she could stop herself. "You're handsome, and mature and responsible. Those are things that are hard to come by." Their eyes locked for a brief yet powerful moment. Then:

"Man, I can't believe how many people are here!" Mikau exclaimed. He and Vaati sat on the floor across from the pair.

With the moment effectively ruined, Midna scowled and shoved the protein bar in her mouth.

"Yeah there was quite the turnout," Sheik commented with a sigh, leaning back on his hands.

Mikau looked back and forth between them, a blue eyebrow quirked. Then his cell went off. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out his phone and smirked when he saw the text he'd gotten from Vaati. It read:

_Did we interrupt something?  
_

Mikau shook his head, then typed back.

_Ha I think so. They're throwing off vibes out the ying yang. I always knew Sheik liked strong women, but I never would have guessed he'd like Midna_

The blue haired man pressed send, then innocently gazed about the room. Shortly thereafter he heard Vaati's snort of amusement. Vaati's reply said:

_Dude! Shadow's no woman she's a freakin banshee! She probably wants to steal his soul and eat it for dinner!_

Mikau let out a bark of laughter, but froze when he realized both Sheik and Midna were now looking at him like he'd lost his mind.

"Oh um, hehe," Mikau chuckled and held up his phone. "Viral cat videos."

It was but a moment later when the woman of the hour made her first appearance.

"**LISTEN UP!**" a commanding female voice suddenly spoke. Startled, everyone in the lobby looked over to the doorway to the auditorium, where Nabooru Amara stood in all her glory. The beautiful director wore black wide-legged trousers with a crisp white button up shirt that showed generous amounts of cleavage, and red pointy-toed stilettos. Nabooru Amara was a formidable and intimidating woman, as fierce as she was beautiful- though Midna couldn't help but admire the way she commanded woman exuded power and confidence and she quickly became Midnas' new girl-crush. Unfortunately, she didn't seem very happy at the moment.

"**THIS IS JUST A WARNING FOR EVERYONE AUDITIONING!" **Director Amara hollered. **"WE ARE LOOKING FOR PROFESSIONAL DANCERS, NOT LITTLE KIDS WHO LIKE TO GO TO CLUBS ON THE WEEKENDS, SO I DON'T WANT ANYONE ELSE WASTING MY TIME BY PERFORMING LIKE CRAP, GOT IT? ONLY THE BEST WILL BE CHOSEN, SO I SUGGEST ANYONE WHO ISN'T SERIOUS ABOUT THIS JOB JUST LEAVE NOW!" **It was completely silent as she turned on her heel and stormed back into the auditorium, the doors slamming shut behind her.

"Dang, boss lady can really project," A random person finally said and a few people laughed nervously.

The four friends turned to look at each other with wide eyes.

"She's scary..." Mikau muttered and Vaati nodded. Surprisingly, quite a few people did take their leave after Director Amaras' tirade. Sheik didn't blame them either. He couldn't believe how many people who had auditioned left the auditorium in tears. And not just women either, for at that very moment a very large and muscular Goron man could be seen walking out the doors with a clump of used tissues in his hand.

* * *

Around 6:30 pm the sun was beginning to set, the sky resembling a watercolor painting above the city skyline. Finally their numbers were called along with a few others and they gathered their things before shuffling into the auditorium with the rest of the dancers.

"I can't help but feel like I'm walking to my doom..." Sheik joked and the others chuckled.

As the group walked single file down the sloping walkway toward the stage, Midna admired the beautiful theatre.

"**WE DON'T HAVE ALL NIGHT PEOPLE!**" Nabooru hollered as the dancers filed into the front row and sat. Many talented dancers auditioned and Midna occasionally would observe Director Amaras' face and notice her reactions, or rather, her lack of reactions. She seemed completely uninterested – except for when she wasn't happy with a performance. Then she'd pretty much use the unfortunate individual as a verbal punching bag to vent her frustrations.

After Sheik's audition, though, her manner changed completely.

"Spectacular!" she cried, throwing her hands up. "Number 1242! You my friend may be the most powerful dancer I have ever seen perform. I could see the lines the entire time you were performing. I don't even have to think it over. You're in!"

For a moment Sheik looked like a deer caught in headlights. Intent on setting things straight, he jogged up to the Director, still huffing and puffing from dancing.

"Excuse me. Director Amara?"

The Gerudo woman looked up from her tablet and smirked.

"I am very excited to be working with you, Mr Harkinian," she said. "Congratulations for making the cut."

"About that... I'm very flattered that you would like me enough to cast me already, but I just came here to see if I could make the cut. My sister and I live in Castle City in Hyrule, and I have a job there. I had no intention of actually moving here..."

Director Amara blinked, then glared. It was a look that made grown men shudder in fear.

"AVEIL!" she hollered without breaking eye contact with Sheik. Her assistant scampered to her side. "I want him in the show," she told the frazzled looking woman. "But he seems to need a little convincing. Make it happen."

With that Director Amara sauntered off, leaving her assistant to talk business with Sheik.

"I don't know what to tell you," Sheik said, scratching the back of his head. "I just came to this audition because it sounded like fun; I wanted to see if I would make the cut."

The assistant narrowed her eyes at him.

"So you purposefully wasted Miss Amara's time?" she asked pointedly.

Sheik gulped.

"Mr Harkinian is it?" she glanced at her clipboard. "I'll tell you what. Regardless of your previous plans, Miss Amara was quite clear that she wanted you to be a part of this show. What do you make annually at your current job? We'll pay you double your current salary."

"It's not about the money," Sheik replied, somewhat offended at her insinuation.

"Triple your current salary," Miss Amara's assistant corrected, not missing a beat.

Sheik was suddenly quite speechless...

"This is a huge opportunity, Mr Harkinian. I suggest you give this some serious thought before making a rash decision."

The woman handed him a business card which he hesitantly accepted.

"You have three days to accept my offer," she told him. And then she was gone.

Sheik watched her retreating figure in shock, then glanced down at the card in his hand.

He didn't know what to think. For one, he loved his job as a martial arts instructor, but the thought of break dancing for a living? That would be a dream come true... His eyes trailed to the woman beside him hoping to gauge her reactions, but Midna was oddly silent, her eyes fixed on the card in his hand.

* * *

Back in Hyrule:

"What happened to your parents, Link?"

They were back in Zelda's bed, laying on their sides facing each other. The petite blonde hadn't been able to keep her supper down, so Link ushered her back to her room. He was a little surprised by her question, but found that he didn't mind her asking.

"They died in a car accident when I was little. Aryll was only three years old."

"Does she remember them at all?"

"Not really, but a lot of the older folks around Ordon say she looks just like my mom did at her age."

"So your Grandmother raised you?"

"Yeah," he paused, then. "What about your parents, Zelda?"

"Well," Zelda hesitated. "My parents broke up when I was five. My dad raised us."

"Hm. So your mom had visitation or something?"

"No... we don't really know what happened to her."

Link furrowed his brow. He wanted to ask what she meant by that, but decided against it...

"Is your Dad still alive?"

"No. He passed away when I was fifteen."

"So then it was just you and Sheik?"

"Mmhm," she said. "He was a very good dad. I miss him."

"My Dad was a good dad too," Link commented. "He was the one who bought me my first keyboard. Well, technically it was a keytar..."

"What's a keytar?"

"It's pretty much a keyboard with a shoulder strap."

Zelda laughed.

"Oh yeah! I know what you're talking about. And I didn't know you played the piano! It never occurred to me that you actually play instruments. I thought you just mixed music."

"Actually I play piano, guitar and drums," Link replied. "I've always had a knack for instruments, and well... I guess I just learn easily."

"That's so cool. I'd love to hear you play sometime," Zelda gushed.

"I think that can be arranged."

The room was quiet for a minute, then Link added.

"I'd like to see you perform sometime."

"You should come to the studio and watch me practice," Zelda replied.

"I think I will. Maybe sometime next week."

"Hey Link?

"Yeah?"

"Have you figured out where we met before?"

"Not yet. But don't worry. I will."

"Cool. Cause I get the weirdest deja vu sometimes when we're together. It makes me think I knew you in a past life or something," the young woman chuckled sleepily.

"I know exactly what you mean," Link admitted, but by then she had drifted off to sleep. Link knew he should probably get going, but he couldn't seem to bring himself to get up. Plus his eyes were getting tired. Maybe he'd stay just a few more minutes...

* * *

Around 4 A.M. Sunday morning, a group of tired young adults piled into a cab outside the Castle City Train Station.

"Where to?" the driver asked.

Mikau (who'd claimed shotgun) was quick to reply, directing him to the Harkinian residence. And then they were off.

"Mikau, we'll be passing your building on the way," Sheik pointed out. "Take him to your place first."

"Well, that's true..." Mikau replied sheepishly, scratching the back of his head.

"We don't have any food at home," Vaati finished for him.

"We'll just pop in your place for a quick snack and then be on our way," Mikau said, and he probably thought it was a gracious concession.

Sheik heard Midna let out a huff of amusement but that was it; she'd propped her head against the window, thoroughly exhausted and you knew Midna was truly beat when she was unavailable for sarcastic comments...

"Zelda's really sick you guys," Sheik tried to protest.

"We'll be quiet," Vaati assured him. "Besides I gave her fifty bucks for shopping and I gotta get my money's worth."

Not seeing the point in arguing, Sheik relented. He leaned back against the seat, drowsily watching the reflections of the streetlights on the windshield.

"What do you think Zelda will say when you tell her the news?" he heard Midna ask after a few moments.

"I don't know," he shrugged,"Something tells me she won't be thrilled, though. She's far more attached to Hyrule than I am..."

"What's not to be excited about?" Mikau asked. "Media City seems like an awesome place to live."

"Media City?" the cabbie snorted. He looked at Mikau incredulously, but then shook his head, seeming to think better of what he was going to say.

"Yeah. We just got back from there," Mikau said, blue brows furrowed. "You don't seem to be a fan..."

"Well it's none of my business what you do, but don't be fooled by appearances when it comes to Media City. The crime there is really bad, and organized crime is even worse. Mosta the police force is crooked..."

"Tell me everything," Mikau requested wide-eyed, hunching over as if preparing for story time. The cabbie seemed pleased to do just that, and Sheik fell back into his own little drowsy world, not really hearing the man's monologue.

"Do you think Zelda still thinks your mom will look you up if you stay local?" he heard Midna ask from beside him.

"Bingo," Sheik drawled. "Today didn't go remotely the way I'd expected..." he added softly.

Vaati snorted. "Dude only you would be all melancholy after something like this, ya lucky bastard."

Midna smiled, albeit tiredly. She was proud of Sheik. Honestly she still couldn't believe it.

The cab arrived in front of Sheik and Zelda's building and Sheik let out a sigh of relief. All he wanted to do was check on his sister and then fall into bed. Vaati and Mikau seemed to catch a second wind at the thought of food; they practically tumbled out of the cab and hurried into the building. As the cab pulled off, Sheik and Midna were left alone on the moonlit sidewalk. Midna yawned, hefting her duffle onto her shoulder as she crossed the sidewalk to the stoop. Sheik regarded her thoughtfully, following close behind. Perhaps he should ask her something.

"Hey Midna, could you hold up a sec?" he began before she could start up the front steps.

"Are you sure you want them in your apartment unsupervised?" Midna joked, turning to face him with her hand still resting on the railing.

"They won't get in without these," Sheik replied, jingling his keys. "Anyway, I just wanted to ask... what you thought... of everything... today..."

Midna quirked an eyebrow.

"You mean what do I think of the job offer?" she clarified.

"Yeah, and about the whole moving thing..."

Midna sighed, her eyes straying from his to examine the cracks in the sidewalk. She'd actually been wondering the same thing. She was proud of Sheik, sure, but with how she felt about him, and how close she and Zelda were... if they were to move away it would suck, to put it plainly. It would suck big time. She crossed her arms, bracing herself.

"I guess..." she finally began. "I can only say this." her eyes rose once more to meet his. "This is an opportunity of a lifetime Sheik, and if you turn it down, you'll probably always regret it."

"I was thinking the same thing," Sheik admitted quietly.

Midna felt her eyes burn but she promised herself she wouldn't cry. She hardly ever cried, and if she did it certainly wouldn't be over some stupid, dense, ridiculously talented jerk who just wanted to move away without any consideration for the people he was leaving behind!

"Another thing I was thinking was that... maybe you could come with us," the elder Harkinian said casually, interrupting her angry mental rant.

Sheik repressed a smirk at her surprised expression. Her eyes were wide and her jaw had dropped.

"You want me to move with you and Zelda to Termina?" she asked in amazement.

"Yeah. I mean, I know your parents are here, but you practically live with us now anyway," Sheik replied with a grin, then added. "And another income will definitely help with rent."

Midna's smile faltered a bit with that comment, but recovered nonetheless.

"Plus, Zelda... I just don't know if she'd agree to go any other way..."

The Twili woman laughed.

"You might be right about that..."

"So what do you say? Would you wanna move to Media City?"

"Yeah," Midna tilted her head, regarding him almost shyly. "I think I would."

Sheik smiled, but the moment was ruined when Vaati poked his head out the front door, a scowl on his face.

"This is all very romantic and everything, but could you please unlock the apartment so we can get something to eat?"

* * *

Sheik unlocked the apartment door and the friends filed in. He noticed something off the moment he stepped in the door.

"Somethings different in here..." Sheik muttered as he threw his duffle bag to the floor and turned on the lights.

"What are you talking about?" Vaati asked.

"Who's shoes are these?" Sheik demanded, pointing to a pair of grubby sneakers by the doorway. They were men's shoes, but not Sheiks.

Both Vaati and Mikau were still wearing their shoes... there was a man in the house?

The group exchanged startled glances, then scurried to Zelda's room.

"Zelda..." Sheik stopped in her doorway and switched the lights on.

Imagine the shock Sheik felt upon finding an unknown male staring back at him from his sisters bed, with Zelda unresponsive beneath the covers. Mikau was the first to comment.

"Huh, when big brother's away, Zelda gets a booty call- ow, what was that for Midna?!"

Sheik was pissed...

In the blink of an eye, Sheik was on the man, hefting him from the bed by his hair and forcing him to the floor. In that same moment, Midna rushed to Zelda's side, pulling the covers from her body and – to her infinite relief finding Zelda fully clothed.

"Who are you?!" Sheik hollered, towering over the intruder. Enraged, Sheik grabbed the stranger by his neck, shaking him violently. "Who! Are you?" He demanded. Vaati, of course, had recognized this guy as the man Zelda was with at the club, but he remained silent. The intruder seemed paralyzed with shock; he stared up at Sheik with wide blue eyes, his mouth agape.

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY SISTER!?" Sheik bellowed.

"I...I..." was all the intruder could manage with his blocked windpipe- before Sheik's fist collided with his face. As Zelda sat up in bed, looking confused and not at all as if she'd suffered a brutal assault, it occurred to Midna, with startling clarity, that this man could be... oh no...

"What's going on?" A very groggy Zelda asked. Her eyes were still adjusting to the lights being turned on when she noticed Sheik and Midna were in her room, and Vaati and Mikau were in the doorway. Oh goddesses... The dots connected in her feverish brain: Everyone was home and in her room, and her brother was currently trying to strangle Link on her bedroom floor!

"STOP!" Zelda cried, leaping from the bed. "Sheik! Stop! Are you insane, you're suffocating him!"

"Oh goddesses..." Midna shook her head in disbelief. She then turned to the two men looking on in obvious amusement (Mikau had the audacity to be eating a bag of potato chips). "Show's over..." she muttered, ushering them into the hallway despite their protests.

Meanwhile Sheik looked up from the man, releasing the ironlike grip he had on his neck. Link's head fell back against the floor with a crack as he gasped for breath.

"Time to explain what's going on here!" Sheik demanded furiously as his sister dropped to her knees beside the stranger. "Zelda, who is this man?"

"Oh my goddesses, Link? Did Sheik hit you?" Zeldas' head whipped around to question Sheik with an accusing glare. "You hit him!" The murderous look in his eyes gave him away. The confused big brother opened his mouth to talk, however Midna had just arrived in the room with a first aid kit and some wet paper towels. He instantly lost Zeldas' attention.

"Oh, Link I'm so sorry. My brother is such an idiot!" she muttered as she took the supplies from Midna.

Sheik gaped at her; how was he the bad guy here?!

"Zel, it's okay." Link reached a hand out to calm her when he saw tears in her eyes. "This is all a big misunderstanding..." She forced his other hand from his injured cheek which was turning an ugly shade of purplish-blue.

"Will someone please explain what's going on!?" Sheik bellowed.

"That's Link," Midna provided the answer, since Zelda was obviously preoccupied.

"The guy she just met?" Sheik asked incredulously.

"Link came over to take care of me," Zelda said crisply, still furious.

"He came to take care of you?" Sheik snorted. "Looks like he had another goal in mind..."

Zelda paused; then turned to glare at her brother.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"He thinks we slept together, Zelda..." Link supplied from behind her and Zelda scowled.

"Well so what if we did?!" the petite blonde exclaimed, her voice shrill with anger. "I'm 21 years old, Sheik! So what if I did have a... a" she grappled for the words, "a gentleman caller?!"

"Goddesses Zelda! No one says gentleman caller these days, are you like ninety or something?" Sheik asked, exasperated. Now that it was obvious nothing had happened between the man and his sister he was just tired and annoyed.

"And you..." he pointed at Link, "I don't like you. Time to go."

"Don't listen to him, Link!" Zelda huffed as she continued to fuss over his swollen cheek. "You can stay as long as you'd like..."

"Actually maybe I should go," Link replied, eyeing her brother warily. "I never intended to stay so late, Zelda but I haven't been sleeping much so I guess I was catching up on lost sleep..."

"If you're not out within the next 60 seconds, I'll throw you out myself," Sheik interrupted before turning around and slipping past Midna through the doorway.

"So... your brother seems nice..." Midna overheard Link saying right before she too left the room.

"And that's what happens when Sheik is overtired and Zelda tells no one that she has a guy over." Midna declared aloud as she plopped on the living room sofa and closed her eyes tiredly. Her eyes popped back open, however, when she realized that in the confusion, Sheik had forgotten to relay some very important news...

Back in Zelda's room, Zelda sat back on her heels, rubbing her face with her palms.

"You're exhausted," Link noted, "Comon' let's get you back in bed." The petite woman nodded sleepily and allowed him to help her into bed.

"I'm sorry about everything, Link," she murmured, eyeing his cheek in sympathy. It was really starting to swell. "Are you sure you don't want an ice pack or something?"

Link smiled as much as his injured cheek would allow. Damn, Zelda's brother sure could pack a punch. It felt like being hit it the face by a freight train...

"Don't worry about it, Zel. I'll ice it when I get home."

"I promise my brother isn't usually like this..." Zelda commented softly, her hooded eyes entreating.

"It's okay. He's just being protective. If he didn't know anyone was going to be here he could have been really scared when he saw someone with you. He didn't know it was just me..."

Zelda nodded into her pillow.

"I'll see you later," he said but Zelda was already asleep.

Link showed himself out, praying he didn't run into Sheik again. He ignored the two heads that popped out of the kitchen to peek at him, focusing on getting the hell out of there.

"Hey," a voice stopped him as he gripped the front door knob. Link knew the Twili woman on the sofa had to be Midna from everything Zelda had told him about her best friend.

"Sorry about the confusion tonight," Link said, trying to be positive. The lopsided grin was wiped from his face when Midna responded.

"If you hurt her, I'll beat you senseless."

He blinked, dismayed.

"I just want to make sure we understand eachother," Midna added. A vicious grin spread across her face as she waggled her fingers at him. "Ta Ta, now..."

Nodding, Link opened the door; his thought as he stepped into the hallway being what a strange night this had turned out to be...

* * *

Link's plan had been to quietly slip into the apartment, grab something to eat, and then work on some music. It was obvious to him that Zelda was becoming his muse, his source of inspiration. It seemed like every time he got home after seeing her, he could disappear into his room for hours and work on his music, the mixes and melodies coming to him effortlessly. As creepy as it sounded, he found himself wishing he had some pictures of her, something to put above his workspace.

His hopes for a discreet entrance were dashed however, when after shutting the door behind him, he caught sight of Dark staring right back at him. What on earth was he doing up so early, Link mentally groaned. The raven haired cousin regarded Link from his seat at the kitchen table; he studied his cousin's swollen cheek, chewing a mouthful of Sugar O's emotionlessly.

_**CRUNCH, CRUNCH, CRUNCH, CRUNCH, CRUNCH...**_

Link's fists clenched at his sides before he caught himself, took a deep breath and headed into the kitchen.

"Hey," he greeted Dark as he entered the room.

"Hey."

"You're up early..." Link commented searching the freezer for an ice pack.

"Yeah," was Dark's reply.

Apparently he and Dark did not own an icepack, Link thought grimly. He'd have to make one out of ice cubes and a towel... He could feel Dark's eyes on his injured cheek, but he didn't feel like talking about it, so Dark could give him that stupid look for as long as he wanted. He wasn't saying a word.

Link's stomach growled, reminding him that he hadn't eaten since yesterday morning...

Ramen noodles would have to do, he thought with a sigh.

Meanwhile, Darks' eyes never left his new found interest as he shoveled another spoonful of cereal into his mouth. _**CRUNCH, CRUNCH, CRUNCH, CRUNCH, CRUNCH... **_Dark knew that Link had gone to see Zelda who was sick, but he hadn't expected him to come home the next morning... or with a huge bruise on his face... Interesting...

Link's jaw tightened in annoyance. If he didn't want to talk about it, he wouldn't. End of story. He filled a saucepan with water and shoved it onto the stovetop, turning the flames up high, all the while refusing to meet Darks' eyes.

Dark tilted his head thoughtfully. His cousins' cheek reminded him of a sunset he saw a few nights ago. The redness of his ears and the purple bruise complemented each other quite nicely. He felt oddly inspired. _**CRUNCH, CRUNCH, CRUNCH, CRUNCH...**_

Long fingers impatiently drummed on the countertop as Link waited for the water to boil. Dark's incessant crunching carried on in the background, and Link knew he was still looking at his face. Goddesses, must he know everything? Couldn't he for once just mind his own business? For all he knew, Link could have gotten this bruise rescuing an old lady from a thug or playing street hockey or something!

Wait... what?

The water finally began to boil and with it went Link's temper. He rounded towards Dark with an angry scowl, a vein throbbing madly in his forehead.

"Dark, I don't feel like talking about it so drop it! Goddesses, would it kill you to mind your own business!" he hollered. Dark paused mid-crunch.

Embarrassed and frustrated, Link fled the room, taking his ramen and the hot saucepan with him.

Dark frowned when he heard Link's bedroom door slam shut, then resumed his chewing. Interesting...

* * *

"Aren't you a little old to be giving me the silent treatment?"

Sheik frowned when his little sister continued to ignore him, her eyes glued to the screen of her laptop as she lay in bed. She was obviously still upset over the incident last night and Midna wasn't even here to talk sense into her; She'd returned to her parent's place to hang out before her shift at Blues.

The elder Harkinian sighed, leaving his place in the doorway to sit beside her on the bed. He noticed the way her shoulders seemed to tense but she said nothing, blue orbs transfixed on her laptop.

"You do realize how ridiculous you're being right?" Sheik asked her, crossing muscular arms over his chest.

Zelda's head whipped up, her eyes blazing.

"I'm being ridiculous?" she asked.

"That's what I said..."

"Sheik what you did last night to Link – now that, that was ridiculous! You embarrassed me and left a terrible impression! I happen to really like Link, and now he probably thinks we're a bunch of violent freaks!"

"What would you expect, Zelda? I'd been away all day, we'd talked to you several times to check up on you and you made no mention of having any visitors, let alone a guy you barely know! What would you expect me to do when I come home in the wee morning hours and find a man in your bed? I was terrified Zel, I thought something horrific had happened!"

Zelda's eyes softened, her anger simmering down.

"I didn't say anything because I knew you'd overreact and because I didn't want to distract you from the auditions," she admitted pushing herself to sit up.

Sheik was hunched over, his elbows on his thighs, chin resting on his palm.

"Well I guess you accomplished that. I was hired on the spot..." he muttered.

"You were hired before callbacks?" Zelda asked in amazement and pride. "That's incredible, Sheik. I'm so proud of you! What was Media City like?"

"It's huge, Zelda," Sheik said turning and lifting one leg to rest on the bed as he faced her. "It makes Castle City look tiny in comparison. It's beautiful too. Everything is so clean, it's almost unreal, and there's skyscrapers everywhere, all shimmering with glass and stainless steel. Broadway, where the Paragon Theater is located, was amazing. Bright lights and billboards everywhere."

Zelda smiled at the excitement in Sheik's face, though it led her to wonder...

"How in the world did you turn them down? They must have really wanted you, to hire you right then and there."

Sheik swallowed, then replied, "I didn't turn them down, but I didn't say yes either..."

"You would want to move all the way to Media City – permanently?" Zelda asked incredulously.

"They offered me three times my current salary," he answered flatly, "And while I love teaching at the Dojo, we both know that I kind of fell into that job. I've always wanted to do something like Illumination, Zel. It's all breakdancing and I can use a lot of my martial arts background there..."

Zelda said nothing; she turned her head to thoughtfully gaze out the window.

"If you really think about it, Zel. There's nothing keeping us in Hyrule-"

"How could you say that? What about our friends, Sheik?"

"I can tell you right now that regardless if they get called back for Illumination, Vaati and Mikau want to make a move to Media City, since there's just more opportunities there. I love Kafei like a brother, but he and Anju have been busier than usual lately. You know how they both have big families and there's always something going on with them."

"What about Midna?"

Sheik grinned. "Funny you ask that, because last night I asked her if she would want to move with us..."

Zelda gasped, "What did she say?"

"She said she would do it. I figured she already practically lives with us, and one more person could really help out with rent, so I might as well ask her..."

Zelda bit her lip. She hoped that Sheik didn't tell Midna that. It would be a slap in the face knowing the feelings Midna had for him, to tell her that he wanted her to move with them solely to help out with finances.

And yet that issue seemed so small in comparison to the other one...

"You really don't think Mom will look us up, do you? You think it's pointless to wait for her..." she whispered. Her brother's expression turned dark and he averted his gaze.

"Any attachment that woman may have had to us was forfeit when she left us and never looked back."

He looked back at her, red eyes fierce.

"As long as you're here, that part of our past will hold power over you. Media City is a fresh start, and full of opportunities. I did some research into the Media City Ballet Company, Zelda..." he held up a hand when she opened her mouth to interrupt, "Just hear me out... They hold auditions twice a year, in the summer and in the winter. The summer auditions are coming up, next month I believe..."

Zelda's brows knit together. She could tell Sheik really wanted this. Throughout his life he'd made many sacrifices for her – especially after Dad passed away. He was working full time at fifteen, he'd practically raised her, even forgoing college to care for her. It didn't escape her notice that even now he took her feelings into consideration, looking into the prestigious ballet company in Media City, ever concerned about her fledgling career. And so, despite the ache in her heart at the thought of leaving Castle City – and Hyrule for that matter, Zelda decided it was her turn to make a concession. She would wholeheartedly support him as he followed his dream and that was that.

"Let's do it," she said at last.

"Really Zel? You really want to?" Sheik's expression was the very picture of joyful relief and gratefulness.

"Yes I definitely want to move to Media City," she replied, only to be swept into a crushing bear hug that nearly took the breath out of her.

"Goddesses, Zelda this is such a big opportunity, and I never thought something like this would happen to me, but it is..." he laughed. "You have no idea how glad I am that you want this too. It means everything to me..."

Zelda smiled against his shoulder. As long as she didn't think about the kind hearted blue-eyed young man she'd be leaving behind, she could avoid bursting into tears.

"You seem to be feeling a little better, eh?" Sheik asked, pulling away. He brought a palm to her forehead and nodded. "You don't seem to have a fever anymore."

"No, it had broken by the time I got up this morning," Zelda said.

"Well I'm glad for it," her brother replied with a smile. "You should probably still take it easy tonight."

"Yeah I have someone covering my shift at work so I can just chill out."

"That's probably a good idea," Sheik agreed, then smirked. "We should start looking at apartments..."

* * *

Monday night at Blue's Steakhouse:

"I'll be right back with your drinks," Zelda told the family she was serving. With a cheerful smile on her face, the blonde turned on her heel and headed back for the kitchen. Her job didn't bother her much now that she knew she wouldn't be working there much longer. Sheik had formally accepted the job in Media City and submitted his two weeks notice to the Dojo. Tonight Zelda and Midna would be doing the same.

After getting the drinks for her customers and submitting their orders to the kitchen, Zelda happened to pass by Midna at one of her tables. On a good day Midna had little patience for the customers, but now that she was quitting it was even worse.

"Do you have any vegetarian options?" the customer asked.

"This is a steakhouse," their Twili waitress replied.

"How about a vegetarian version of the-"

"Sorry can't do that,"

A pause. Then:

"But can't I-"

"Nope."

The customer glared and looked to her companion, who seemed equally appalled.

"Excuse me, but isn't the customer supposed to be always right?" the woman huffed.

"Not when they ask stupid questions!" Midna replied, throwing her hands in the air. "If you didn't like the food here then why the hell did you come here in the first place?!"

"Oooookay!" Zelda inserted herself between her friend and the fuming woman. "Why don't I take it from here?"

Midna crossed her and arms and shrugged. The customers seemed relieved.

"What on earth was her problem?" the woman asked after Midna had left. Zelda sighed.

Throughout the years Zelda had had to make many an excuse for Midna's behavior. "Please excuse my friend. She's PMSing pretty bad... Sorry about her. Her cat just died, you see... I apologize on behalf of my friend. It's just that she's awfully upset over global warming."

And for tonight...

"Please excuse her," Zelda said. Then added in a whisper, "She has terrible hemorrhoids and they make her grumpy..." Not missing a beat she whipped out her pad and pen. "So what can I get for you tonight?"

* * *

Later that night:

"You're so lucky you're Mr Ingo's favorite," Zelda laughed, shaking her head. She plopped down into a booth, rag and disinfectant spray in hand. "That's all I have to say." Zelda gave the tabletop a generous spritzing before wiping it thouroughly.

"I can't wait to walk out those doors for the last time and never enter them again," Midna admitted from her own table.

"You won't miss this place at all?" Zelda asked.

"Would you?"

"No way!"

"Alright then."

Zelda laughed.

"You know, you never told me about you and Sheik on the trip. Did you have any moments?"

"Obviously you mean romantic moments," Midna droned.

"Obviously," Zelda agreed undeterred. "Well?"

Midna went on to tell her about Sheik introduced her as his girlfriend to the Gerudo girls and the conversation about why neither of them were seeing anyone.

"Oh my goddesses!" Zelda squealed. "We're going to be sister's in law!"

Midna rolled her eyes.

"Zelda, honestly I don't appreciate you getting all excited about this. You could be getting your hopes up for nothing," she said seriously. By now they had finished the tables and were getting ready to vacuum the dining room.

"I'm sorry," Zelda replied as she unwound the power cord to the vacuum cleaner. "I just think Sheik likes you."

Midna couldn't help the blush that stained her cheeks. She was about to make a retort when she caught something out of the corner of her eye. She turned towards the front windows but frowned when no one was there. Strange... she could have sworn she saw a person standing there looking in...

"I'm gonna start the vacuum. You okay, Midna?" she heard Zelda ask.

"Yeah, I'm fine I think..." Midna replied. With one last glance at the window she shrugged to herself. Perhaps it was one of the other waitresses boyfriends, waiting for them to get out.

Midna would have been interested to know that she had indeed seen a person there. A curious young man by the name of Dark Hero who had been gazing in the window at Zelda for the past half hour, oblivious to the strange looks he was getting from passersby.

* * *

It wasn't weird that he had followed them home. It wasn't weird that he watched the lights turn on in the building to see what apartment they'd gone into. It was a mere peculiarity of an artistic mind and he hadn't hurt anyone. As long as Dark kept repeating this to himself, his conscience was soothed.

Dark didn't sleep at all that night. He spent the entire night hunched over his sketchpad drawing sketch after sketch of the woman he'd seen. If this was indeed Zelda, he could easily understand why Link had been spending so much time with her. Everything about her was inspiring; his hand seemed to move of its' own accord as he remembered her eyes, her hair, her body... She was so graceful and lovely. Ah yes, he thought as he finished yet another drawing and immediately moved on to the next. She was perfect...

There were times when Dark would sit down to draw with a clear vision in mind. He would have something in his head which he wanted to bring to life, and he would use art as a medium to do just that. But tonight, it seemed like he didn't even know what he was sketching until it was before him on the paper. Later he would look at these sketches in bewilderment, trying to remember what he'd been thinking when she sketched the woman Zelda dancing, the woman Zelda sleeping, and the woman Zelda looking over an elaborate balcony – completely unaware that someone was watching her from the shadows.

* * *

ERMAHGERD... this just kept getting longer and longer and longer. It's about 9,500 words not including author's notes *faints* I didn't use my beta this time so any grammatical errors are all mine. So... Review?

1. Thanks to everyone who reviewed last chapter! I appreciate your reviews so much and sometimes they're what keep me writing:)

2. The title GoldieLinks is a reference to Goldielocks since both Link and Goldielocks were found in a bed that was not their own o_o

3. I RAGEquit Deviantart last night. I stand by my decision. Don't get me wrong, there are some majorly talented artists on there, but I will admit to you it's partly because of that whole Deviantart Secret thing. Some of them were getting so depressing and they'd be on the front page and all. I know it's supposed to be a great way for people to get stuff off their chest and stuff, but nothing beats a therapist... Anywho... That's not the only reason. I'm trying to focus on writing and not drawing and that site makes me want to be a master artist. FYI I have nothing against that site though. I really don't and who knows. I'll prob get another account some day, but for now I'm taking a break from it.

4. Um... Have you heard that Amazon is starting a whole thing where they publish fan fictions, like over kindle? It's called KindleWorlds and are a ton of rules for it. After Amazon and the owner of the fandom get their share of the profit, I wonder how much you could make if your story wasn't hugely popular... You'd of course be forfeiting the lovely reviews that you get on . I personally can't imagine paying money for fanfiction. Not when there are so many great free stories being added every day, but that's just me. My Fandoms are mostly LOZ (which I don't really read much of these days I just write in it), Inuyasha, Naruto, Samurai Champloo and I think that's it...

5. Man, I'm already out of stuff to say... Bleh, oh yeah. Poor Link, and yet not poor Link. He really is a good guy but a lot of people mentioned in the old version that the Zelink happened too fast. So now, you shall have no Zelink as of yet. But lots and lots of romantic tension is on the way. Oh and Shidna too!

6. Thanks for reading and have a great day!


	8. Slow Dancing In a Burning Room

_**Hey everybody! Miss Ashlynn here with She Can Move Chapter 8! This is very long (over 9,000 words and everything is completely new!) so you might want to sit down before you get started! Thanks to the wonderful SomewhereOnlySheKnows for being there to bounce ideas off of and for all of her great feedback. Also thanks to everyone who reviewed last chapter!**_

_**I hope you enjoy chapter eight and please leave a review to let me know what you think!**_

* * *

**She Can Move **

**Chapter Eight: Slow Dancing In A Burning Room  
**

Link was very uncomfortable.

It was his and Malon's first date since they'd gotten back together. Nothing fancy, just lunch at one of her favorite places – an upscale bistro downtown. He wasn't trying to act reserved or aloof, mind you, it just happened. If Malon noticed his discomfort, however, she did nothing to alleviate it. The woman went on as if they'd never broken up at all... She talked about her job like she always did, and Link listened like he always did. At length their plates were cleared and Link felt sick. This wasn't right, he told himself, though the thought was quickly dismissed. What kind of man impregnates a woman then leaves her? Only the lowest of the low, he concluded. Plus, his child deserved to have a mother and father that loved each other, a happy little family...

Link sighed. The fact of the matter was: He was screwed.

"Will you be having any coffee or dessert?" the voice of the bubbly waitress interrupted his thoughts. The young woman was looking at them expectantly.

"I'm fine," Link replied, then looked to Malon. "Did you want anything else?"

"No thank you," the redhead answered.

"Then I'll be right back with your check," the waitress replied before walking off.

"I hate not being able to drink coffee," Malon lamented and Link smiled sadly.

"Sorry," he replied. What else could he say? After all, it was his fault she was pregnant. The redhead regarded him pensively, her eyes troubled, but perked up when she seemed to remember something.

"Oh I almost forgot! Daddy's having a few friends and business associates over not this Saturday but next."

"Oh yeah?" Link stalled, picking up the paper straw wrapper next to his drink.

"Yes and I was hoping you'd come. Do you think you can make it?" Malon pressed. Link tore off a small piece of wrapper.

"Probably," he tore another piece. "I don't think I have anything going on, but I'll let you know for sure."

"Alright," she nodded. Then. "I'm sure Lainey would love to see you."

Link smirked, his eyes still on the paper in his hands. Lainey Lonlo was Malon's adoptive little sister who happened to adore him.

"How is my little buddy doing?" he asked, tearing off another piece.

"How should I know? You're the one that talks to her," Malon quipped. "I barely see the kid."

"Hmmm. I noticed you're not showing yet," Link commented, changing the subject. Another rip.

"No. I probably won't start really showing until my second trimester," she replied softly. And then...

"I'm really sorry, Link..."

"You have nothing to be sorry about," he said automatically. Another rip.

He heard Malon sigh as if frustrated.

"I want this to work between us," she entreated him. "I never stopped loving you, Link."

She never stopped loving him...Link swallowed, anger bubbling up within him as his hand clenched around the paper scraps.

"You love me but you ganged up on me with your parents," he managed to say, calm yet firm. "How am I supposed to trust you after that? You love me but you depicted me as a heartless bastard! How am I supposed to feel drawn to you after that?"

"I didn't want it to happen this way, Link. I was just afraid, I told you that!" Malon exclaimed.

"You know what? I don't understand that either! You say you were scared because I wasn't returning your calls but we'd broken up, Malon. I mean, I had broken up with you and you kept calling me. Of course I'm going to ignore your calls!" Link shook his head, infuriated. "Do you know how that felt for me, Malon? That you had to gather up your parents like calling in the reinforcements? You have no faith in me whatsoever that I would do the right thing!"

"That's not true," the woman replied, shaking her head, "I've always had faith in you Link. I love you! Don't you still love me, Link? Even a little bit?"

"Here we go," the waitress had reappeared, leaving the billfold on the end of the table. "Have a great day, guys."

"Thanks," Link muttered, pulling out his wallet. The waitress smiled and took her leave.

"I know that I wasn't the best girlfriend to you before but things are going to be different from now on, Link," he heard Malon saying as he shoved a few bills in between the billfold, enough to cover their bill and tip. "I promise you that."

He looked up at her then but couldn't bring himself to smile, even as she clasped his limp hand.

"Okay," was his simple reply.

* * *

_You should come visit me at the studio tomorrow! I have big news! _This was the text Link got from Zelda on Tuesday night. So visit her he did. Right after he finished his shift at the music store, Link took the bus from Old Castle Town to the lower east side.

Miss Flora's Ballet Studio wasn't a fancy building. It was rather nondescript, a white brick place crunched in between a carpet store and a mini mart and Link furrowed his brow, wondering if it was indeed the right place. As he walked closer, though, Link could hear the the piano music flowing through the open windows. Curious, he peered inside.

And there she was, wearing a black leotard and pale pink ballet shoes, her wispy platinum blonde hair pulled into a bun atop her head. Zelda was a vision as she danced across the room, so graceful and elegant that at times looked as if she barely touched the floor.

As a man, Link had to appreciate her beauty. Not only did she have a very pretty face, but Zelda had a beautiful body. She was slender, but not overly thin like so many dancers seemed to be. She was gorgeous.

The young woman stopped abruptly when she realized she was being watched. She smiled when she saw it was him.

"Do you always spy on people like this?" she asked with a smirk, hands on her hips.

"Ha! No I don't. Just got here," Link replied.

"Ah. Well come on in. It's the first open door on the right," she gestured to the doorway.

"I'm so glad you could come!" Zelda said when he walked into the studio. She excused herself, saying she would normally hug him but she was rather sweaty so it'd be better if she didn't.

"I just have to cool down with some stretches and then I'll be done," said the blonde, sitting on the floor. "You can have a seat right there if you want."

Link followed her pointed finger to a worn looking stool that sat against the wall.

"You dance beautifully," Link complimented, sitting down where Zelda had directed.

"Thanks," she smiled. "I practice a lot."

"It shows. I don't know why but I was expecting your friend to be here."

"Oh, you mean Midna? Yeah, she usually would be here practicing with me, but she's been spending some time with her parents lately because- well that actually brings me to my big news..."She brought her forehead down to her knee, stretching as far as she could.

"Well don't keep me in suspense..." Link grinned. He hunched over, resting his elbows on his lap.

"The big news is..." Zelda paused for dramatic effect, "that I'm moving."

Link blinked, the blinked again.

"I'm sorry, what was that?" he asked, sitting up again.

Zelda smiled at him over her shoulder, then continued her stretches.

"I said I'm moving," she repeated, "My brother got the job in Media City."

"Wow," Link managed. He had no idea what to say. "You must be so excited."

"I am. We all are," Zelda agreed. "Midna's coming with us too."

"I'm really happy for you," Link said, trying to smile. "I thought your brother was just trying out for fun..."

"He did, but then the director offered him a job on the spot and a huge salary," Zelda replied. She went on to tell him about how determined Director Amara had been to have Sheik in the show, and how her assistant offered Sheik three times his current yearly income.

"I can understand why he took it then," Link said. "He'd have to be an idiot to turn down an offer like that. When do you leave?"

"A little under two weeks," Zelda answered. Link watched as Zelda stood up, finished with her stretches. It was hard not to look at her legs, he realized.

"To be honest, I wasn't very happy at first," she continued, moving to grab her duffle which sat against the far wall. "But this part means the world to my brother. I couldn't let him pass it up. Plus, there's a ballet company in Media City. This move could be important for my career." she turned to him, slinging the bag over her shoulder. "I also wanted to tell you that my friend Anju is throwing a big going-away party for us and you're invited."

"I'd love to come," Link answered right away, forcing his attention to her face.

"Great," Zelda smiled. "You should bring your cousin too. I'd love to meet him."

"Well Dark isn't much of a partier, but I'll see if I can drag him out of the house," It was hard to imagine his anti-social cousin going to a house party, but he'd pass the invite along anyway.

"It's going to be at Kafei and Anju's apartment, not this Saturday but next. I'm not sure of a time but I can let you know and get you directions as well."

Link grimaced inwardly. That was the same day as Malon's dads thing. He'd have to find a way to make it work.

"Let's head out," Link looked up to find the blonde watching him expectantly "I'm in the mood for an ice cream cone," Zelda said.

As Link waited for Zelda to lock up the studio, he realized that as much as he hated that Zelda was moving, a part of him (the teeny tiny voice of reason that he'd been ignoring as of late) told him that it really was for the best. Sure, right now it was easy to be friends with her and still date Malon, but when a baby was in the picture it would be downright impossible to keep that from Zelda, not to mention wrong on so many levels.

"Have you ever tried the ice cream from the stand in the park?" she asked him, interrupting his thoughts.

When Link replied no, Zelda told him he was in for a treat.

"It's so good," she said. "The man makes it himself with all natural ingredients. Let me buy you a cone. You'll see!"

Ten minutes later, the two of them were sitting in a grassy field in Hylia Park, eating their ice cream cones. Zelda was sitting indian style while Link lay on his side facing her.

"So what do you think?" Zelda asked.

"About the ice cream?"

"Yeah. Isn't it the best you've ever had?"

"It is quite good," he had to agree.

She smiled at him and continued eating her frozen treat.

"You know, for a long time I didn't know you could eat the cone," Link commented.

Zelda laughed.

"You mean you used to just eat as much ice cream as you could and then throw the cone away?"

Link nodded, smirking.

"That's too cute!" Zelda gushed.

"Then when I was seven one day my grandma told me the cones were edible. You know, made out of sugary goodness. From then on I ate the whole thing."

The petite blonde giggled, looking away from him to admire the lovely summer scenery.

"Nice story, Link."

"Thanks. I thought so too."

"I'm gonna miss Hyrule," Zelda sighed wistfully, her blue eyes roving the treeline. "Don't get me wrong, I'm excited and all but I'm kind of sad at the same time."

"Mixed feelings?"

"I guess you could say that."

"I think that's pretty normal for moving to a brand new city," Link commented. "There's nervousness and some melancholy alongside the excitement. And because you're going to miss me so much, right?" he asked, unable to resist teasing her.

"You wish," she retorted, though a blush stained her cheeks. "We should stay in touch, though," she added softly, reaching out with her free hand to pick at a blade of grass.

"We will," Link agreed. He watched her fingers toy with the green strands.

She was smiling at him.

"When I first met you, you said I looked familiar to you," she said. "Have you figured it out yet? Where we've met before?"

Link smirked.

"Not yet. But I'll keep you posted."

Zelda nodded and looked away again.

"I will though..." she said.

"You will what?" Link asked with furrowed brow.

"Miss you," Zelda clarified, still avoiding his eyes. "I love spending time with you..." Zelda had gone out on a limb to say this, since it was actually a line that Anju had fed her if her memory was correct, though Zelda did not simply say it to be flirtatious – it was simply the truth. Yes, it was terribly forward and completely unlike her to be so direct, but she was just being honest and Zelda waited with bated breath for his response, if he would respond at all...

"I love spending time with you too," she heard him say.

Zelda did look at him then, with a big smile that rivaled the sun in brightness.

* * *

_Later that same day..._

"I think I'm winning them over," Midna announced to the dinner table.

Zelda looked up from her salad, confused, but Sheik beat her to the punch.

"Who are you winning over what?" Sheik asked around a mouthful of food.

"My parents," the Twili woman replied, as if it should be obvious. "They were really against me moving at first, but I think I'm winning them over."

"I can understand why they'd be concerned," Zelda commented. "I mean, it would be one thing if you were moving out into your own place but staying in the city. Instead you're going to a whole 'nother country."

"And you're their only daughter," Sheik added thoughtfully.

"I know that, but I'm twenty-one years old. I know they mean well but they're so overprotective, amongst other things..." Midna grouched, moving her food around her plate with her fork.

"So what did you say to sweeten them to the idea?" Zelda asked.

Midna looked up with a sneaky grin.

"I told my Mother if I moved and got into the MCBC I could get free tickets for her and her friends," she replied cheekily. Zelda and Sheik grinned – then frowned when they heard the stampede of footsteps headed up the stairwell.

Five seconds later, Vaati and Mikau burst into the apartment, flinging the door open with a slam. They were whooping and hollering and carrying on like they'd just won the lottery, and Sheik raised an eyebrow in question.

"What's up?" he asked.

"WE WERE CASTED!" Mikau exclaimed making jazz hands and grinning from ear to ear though he was sidetracked when he caught a whiff of dinner. "Oooh smells good!" The big news momentarily forgotten, he busied himself with gathering a plate.

"We just got the calls half an hour ago," Vaati said smugly, setting a bottle of champagne on the table with a flourish. "Looks like you're not the only one moving up in the world," he said to Sheik.

"Congratulations!" Sheik replied, reaching up to clasp his friends hand.

"I'm so excited for you guys!" Zelda exclaimed. "I'll go get some glasses for the champagne." The blonde jumped up from her seat and hurried into the kitchen.

"Poor Midna," Vaati mock-pouted as he sat down beside her. "She's the only one who didn't get called back," he snickered grabbing a plate.

Midna rolled her eyes.

"I auditioned for fun, asshole. It's all the better that I didn't get a part."

"Keep telling yourself that," Vaati muttered.

Midna turned to glare at him.

"Obviously you still weren't as noteworthy as Sheik," she said. "He didn't have to wait for callbacks yet you're so smug? You're a special little snowflake aren't cha?"

"Pfht! Sheik got lucky. That whole time director Amara was looking at his ass! Hmph! Great form she says..."

"Hey!" Sheik interjected. "I resent that. Though it is a fine ass..." he winked at Midna who blushed madly and hated herself for it, though she was a little concerned that Nabooru Amara was eyeing the man she was interested in. "By the way did you guys find an apartment yet?"

"Yeah. On Keaton Street I think," Vaati said, mouthful of food.

"Huh. We're thinking the Atlantic Pointe Condos," Sheik replied.

Vaati shook his head.

"Condos? Tch! I can't believe how much more you're making than the rest of us. It's a crime if you ask me."

"Jealous much?" Midna whispered.

"Don't you go spreading that around, Vaati," Sheik cautioned. "I'd hate for people to start giving me a hard time because of it."

"The online pictures of the condo were gorgeous!" Zelda said as she returned from the kitchen, five champagne flutes in her hands. Vaati popped open the bottle, using a dishtowel to stifle the foamy mess. "I love the layout. It's three bedrooms, two bathrooms and a huge kitchen..."

"The location is what I like most," Sheik added. "It's only five blocks from Broadway and in a good neighborhood."

"That's good to hear," Mikau commented. "Since there's a seedy underbelly to Media City. There are some neighborhoods you wouldn't want to be caught dead in at night..."

Vaati scoffed.

"Mikau, you seriously need to stop repeating stuff that cabbie told you."

"That cabbie used to be an undercover cop thank you very much," Mikau replied.

"If he had a job as an undercover cop why is he working as a cab driver now?" Midna asked.

"He was the only straight cop on a crooked force," Mikau said, scandalized. "That's why he lost his badge – refusal to compromise when it came to justice. The rot runs deep in the big city."

"Dramatic," Vaati mumbled.

"Have you called about the apartment yet?" Zelda anxiously asked her brother.

"Not yet but I will after dinner," was his reply and she nodded, satisfied.

"So... does someone want to tell me whose idea it was to let Anju throw us a going away party?" Vaati asked suddenly.

Silence. Then Sheik, Midna and Mikau slowly looked to Zelda whose face had gone beet red.

"Champagne anyone?" she asked with a grin. No one responded. Then:

"Why Zelda? Why?" Midna asked, face in palm. Sheik grinned.

"Oh comon guys! She was so upset when I told her we were moving!" Zelda exclaimed, passing Midna a glass of champagne, then Mikau. This was no exaggeration, either. Anju had cried when Zelda told her the news. "I'm sure it will be fun, and even if it isn't the greatest party ever isn't the whole point of a going-away party to be with all your friends before you leave?"

Vaati rolled his eyes.

"Zelda's right you guys," Sheik chimed in, accepting the champagne Zelda handed him. "There will be plenty of time to party in Media City." Zelda smiled at her brother, agreeing.

"I'll drink to that," Vaati conceded, picking up his glass.

"To good friends and bright futures!" Sheik toasted, and five glasses met above the center of the table with a clink.

Zelda grinned, feeding off the excitement of everyone around her. It was this excitement, this nervous anticipation that would aid her over the next ten days or so - for they had a whole apartment of things to pack, and not much time to do it.

* * *

Days passed. Between work and packing, Zelda was completely swamped. Midna had her own things to pack, though she did come over to help sometimes anyway. Her mother was driving her crazy, since she was always either crying that her little girl was grown up or micromanaging the way Midna packed her belongings. Zelda really wished she could spend more time with Link before she left, but it seemed impossible with so much to do and so little time to do it in. Several times he offered to come by and help her pack, but every time Zelda declined, embarrassed by the mess in their apartment.

Every time, that is, until the day he brought out the big guns. It was the Thursday before the party and Zelda was about to lose her mind. Then Link texted her saying if she let him come help her, he'd bring ice cream...

"Well played," she said with narrowed eyes, accepting the pint of Ben and Jerry's before allowing him entry. Link just grinned and strolled inside.

"Damn," Link said. "You've been busy."

Zelda knew he was referring to the boxes that were everywhere. The living room was completely packed and all her houseplants were gathered by the window.

"You have no idea," Zelda sighed, padding off to find the box she'd packed the silverware in. "It's like I forget how much stuff we had until I actually have to pack it. I kind of wish we had time for a garage sale but oh well..." She returned shortly thereafter, mouthful of ice cream. "Oh, I'm sorry did you want some?"

Link laughed at her wide-eyed look.

"It's all yours," he replied. "I think you need it."

Link frowned then asked. "Have you been sleeping at all? You look exhausted, Zelda."

"I've been trying to but I'm just so anxious I can't relax," She walked passed him, plopping down on the couch with a sigh. "I keep waking up in the middle of the night and since I can't get back to sleep I just do more packing," she explained.

"Hm," Link's eyes had caught on a picture frame laying on the top of a random box."Who is this?" Link asked, bending over to pick up the frame.

"That's my Dad," Zelda replied, a smile in her voice. "His name was Scott," she added softly.

Zelda watched him study the picture with interest, her eyes roving over his face. Link was so handsome, she thought. And he was even more handsome because he didn't seem to realize how sexy he was... She suddenly wished she'd changed out of her sweats and done something more with her hair.

"Alright, Zel. I'm at your disposal," he said, putting the picture back where he'd found it.

She sighed. She reeeeally didn't feel like packing...

"Maybe we can scratch the packing and you can just give me another massage," Zelda replied offhandedly. She paused then, her eyes widening when she realized how suggestive that had sounded. Was it just her apparently dirty mind that caught that, she wondered? A quick glance at the surprised look – and blush – on Link's face told her that unfortunately no, she wasn't...

He seemed to recover from it quickly though, laughing it off and scratching the back of his head.

"Maybe we should just stick to packing," he chuckled. "I don't want you to fall asleep on me," he quipped.

Mortified with herself, Zelda told him he could help her wrap and pack the dishes.

As a pair she and Link got a lot accomplished in just a few hours. Much to Zelda's delight, before he left Link told her that both he and his cousin would be coming to the party, though they might be a little late since he had something to take care of beforehand. Zelda didn't mind. She was just thrilled he would be there.

Link, on the other hand, was still surprised that Dark would be accompanying him – and that he seemed to _want _to attend the party even though it meant he would be coming with him to Malon's father's party as well. He was glad though, since Dark had helped him come up with a plan to leave early.

Apparently when the situation called for it, the Hero cousins could still be just as crafty as they'd been in their youth – though they no longer had to plot to sneak cookies before suppertime.

* * *

_Lonlo Manor Saturday 7:00 pm_

Outside the city and past the suburbs, situated among the sprawling fields of countryside, Lonlo Manor was a pristine white mansion in the middle of a canvas of green. The estate was comprised of fifty something acres, all perfectly manicured of course.

In Link's opinion, the Lonlo's parties couldn't really be considered parties, since they weren't fun. At all.

To him, Mr Lonlo's gatherings were more like a group of nicely dressed people all politely conversing, while secretly the only thing they were interested in was each other's money. Nevertheless, Link tolerated the events because they were important to Malon. He could hob nob with the best of them when it was necessary. Link donned a navy sport coat especially for the occasion, with a crisp blue button up shirt underneath. He wore dark jeans and a pair of loafers and his normally messy dirty blonde hair had been meticulously combed into a side part.

Now Dark on the other hand, was not one for casual conversation, or any conversation really. He wore jeans and a button-up shirt with sneakers, and his hair looked as if he had just woken up. Dark did not like the Lonlos and probably never would. Needless to say, Link was very concerned that his cousin be on his best behavior.

"Don't forget to be polite," Link reminded for the umpteenth time, leading the way up the front steps.

"You need to stop worrying," Dark replied.

Link sighed, ringing the doorbell before he stepped back to button his jacket.

A butler answered the door.

"Master Link. How good to see you," the man said in a bored voice, stepping aside to let them in.

Link shot his cousin a final warning glance before they went in.

"Hey Sweetheart," Malon greeted him with open arms and a kiss on the lips. "I'm so glad you're here. There are a few people I want to intro-" Malon's smile dropped when she saw Dark and she seemed to be momentarily speechless. And then the dots connected and she was pissed. "What is he doing here?" she scowled.

"Nice to see you too, Your Highness," Dark droned.

"He just came to enjoy the party," Link told his girlfriend, trying to diffuse the situation. "Now who did you want me to meet?"

Malon did not seem happy even as she took his arm and led him away. Link knew he would hear about this later. Dark watched them walk off with a bored expression.

"Oh don't worry about me," he called after them. "I'll be just fine on my own..."

Now he just had to kill some time, the raven-haired cousin thought as he strolled through the foyer headed towards the sound of people. Perhaps he'd see what kind of food they were serving...

Normally Dark wouldn't be caught dead at a Lonlo party. He'd only tagged along because he was interested in the second party of the night. Link needed a scapegoat, an excuse to leave early and Dark obliged, not caring in the least what Malon or her family thought about him.

Now the Zelda party, as he'd come to think of it – that he was looking forward to. Mostly so he could actually meet and converse with the woman he'd seen that night a few weeks ago. Sure, to many people his following the woman would have seemed creepy, but Dark did a lot of things that people would probably consider strange and he'd never cared much for other people's opinions. He was an artist, and many an artist had gone to unusual lengths in search of inspiration.

* * *

_Kafei and Anju's apartment Saturday 7:35pm_

The door flung open before Zelda could knock, revealing a smiling Anju wearing a cone-shaped party hat.

"Welcome to the party of the year!" she cheered. Behind Zelda, Midna stifled the urge to roll her eyes.

"Hey Anju," Zelda smiled and stepped inside. She allowed the eager woman to pull her into an embrace, returning it happily. "We're so glad to be here. It was really kind of you to throw this party for us," Zelda looked around as they pulled apart. "Everything looks great."

"Thanks," Anju replied with a grin. "It was a lot of work but I had Kafei to help me."

"What she means by help is do everything," Kafei supplied, appearing over Anju's shoulder. "Hey Zel. Hey Sheik. Hey Midna."

"How's it going Kafei?" Sheik asked, reaching out to clasp his best friend's hand.

"Well tonights kinda bittersweet for me, Bro," Kafei replied truthfully. "It's gonna be awfully quiet around here with you gone, so we gotta go out with a bang!"

Sheik laughed. "Sorry man, I can't get smashed tonight. I have to drive a U'haul in the morning remember?"

"No worries. I set up the poker table and everything. We'll be all set!"

The two men continued talking as they walked off together, most likely towards wherever they were keeping the drinks.

"Vaati and Mikau haven't arrived yet," Anju was telling Zelda and and Midna. "But I'm sure they'll be here soon. I don't want to cut the cake until they're here, though. Anyways, make yourself at home. I'm sure you'll see a lot of familiar faces."

As Zelda and Midna walked further into the apartment and began to mingle, they noticed that Anju really had gone all out for this party, including the guest list. There were people from the Dance Studio, there were people from Sheik's Dojo, some of the waitresses from Blues that Zelda was friendly with, some of Mikau's coworkers from the Foot Locker, and what looked like a slew of Vaati's ex-girlfriends. It seemed that even Anju could be a troll when she wanted to be, Midna had remarked, approval in her voice.

Zelda was having a good time visiting with all her acquaintances, but the person she was really interested in seeing had yet to arrive.

* * *

_Lonlo Manor 8:00pm_

He had to hand it to them. The Lonlos sure knew how to put out a spread. These were Link's thoughts as he perused the huge selection of horderves expertly arranged across the banquet table. After being toted around like Malon's favorite accessory for the last hour, Link was happy for a break. He'd grab some food and then try to find his cousin. Dark couldn't have gone too far.

Steering clear of the caviar Link started loading his plate with goodies. A few potstickers, a couple chicken wings, ooh those little tea sandwiches look good... Link took a little something from each tray, his mouth watering in anticipation.

For some reason Link just happened to look up at that moment, to find another man looking back at him. The stranger was short with dark eyes and even features and he looked to be one of the mansion staff, perhaps a chef judging by his uniform. Unsure what to say, Link smiled pleasantly but the man just stared at him before getting back to work, replenishing a tray of bacon-wrapped scallops.

Alrighty then...

Link grabbed a few napkins and was about to be on his merry way when a girlish shout of his name had him stopping in his tracks. Two seconds later he was rammed into and embraced by the youngest Lonlo of the house.

Nine year old, Lainey Lonlo smiled up at him, her chin resting against his stomach.

"Hi," she chirped.

Link's response was a lopsided grin. Lainey Lonlo was Eleanor Lonlo's daughter from a previous relationship and thus Malon's step-sister. Though Mr Lonlo had legally adopted her after marrying her mom, it was painfully obvious that he viewed her as nothing more than baggage and unfortunately for the kid, her own mother wasn't much better. Link really pitied the child; she was largely ignored by her family and she went through nannys left and right so he'd always made an effort to be friendly to her. The result was a young girl who adored him and everything he did. In the eyes of Lainey Lonlo, Link Hero could do no wrong.

"Well hello there," he ruffled her hair with his free hand. "How goes it?"

"Meh. Okay I guess," the little girl responded with a shrug.

"You guess?" he raised an eyebrow, watching in amusement as she tried not to smile.

"Eleanor wanted me to wear a dress tonight," she answered. Link smirked. Judging by her current attire – panda-print pajama bottoms and a bright pink sequined top – she hadn't listened to mom.

"Well that's not fair. I had to dress up so why shouldn't you?" he teased, and then. "And you shouldn't call your mom by her first name," By now she'd released him and followed him into the family room which thankfully was clear of people. Link needed to just get away from the hustle and bustle of the party; tonight the crowd seemed to grate on him more than usual.

Link sat down on the expensive leather sofa; their furniture was so nice sometimes he feared he'd ruin it just by looking at it. Lainey sat next to him and attempted to pick at his plate right away.

"Hey, get your own," he said, holding the plate out of the child's reach.

"Just two things," she bartered. "Pleeeease? Please? Please, please, please, please, please-"

"Okay! Okay, fine," Link offered the plate, "Two things."

He was pleased when she took only two as they had agreed.

"Your hair looks weird," she said before popping a deviled egg into her mouth.

"Well your face looks weird," Link retorted and she giggled, though the banter ended there. She seemed different tonight, Link noticed. Though the youngest member of the Lonlo household had always seemed a bit too serious – a bit too cynical for a nine-year old – Link suspected there was something weighing on her mind.

"What's going on with you tonight?" Link asked her as he began to eat.

The young girl looked up at him and he could see she was thinking, but her eyes trailed away a moment later. Link wouldn't press her if she didn't want to talk about it, but he did want her to know she could come to him if she needed a friend.

"Do you ever lie?" she asked in a small voice.

Link's lips twisted bitterly. Did he lie? Ha. His whole life seemed like a lie lately.

"Sometimes I do," Link answered truthfully. "Why do you ask?"

The girl looked at her hands and played with her fingers.

"What if someone is telling a lie?" she asked. "And you know it's a lie but no one else knows?"

Link did not like the direction this was going. He set his plate aside and told himself to remain calm. If anyone had hurt this little girl, he would beat them to a bloody pulp. Or even worse, he'd send Zelda's brother after them.

"Are you trying to tell me something?" Link asked, turning toward her. "Has someone hurt you?"

The girl blinked then scowled.

"I'm not being molested, Link," she deadpanned, rolling her eyes. "Why would you jump right to that?"

Letting out the breath he'd been holding, Link grabbed his plate again.

"I don't know, you just got this look on your face and I started to worry," he grouched, "Excuse me for caring."

"Will you please pay attention? This is important!"

"I'm sitting right here waiting for you to get on with it," Link replied with a sarcastic smile.

"What if someone is lying and you know they are but no one else knows?" she asked him, looking extremely troubled. Link sobered, realizing this was quite important to the child, and she probably had no one else to talk to about it.

"Well, are you asking if you should expose their lie?" he questioned and the little girl nodded.

"In that case it depends. Is someone being hurt by the lie?"

He watched her as her brows knit together in thought.

"I don't know," she admitted. "Maybe."

"You can tell me," he suggested. "Just to get it off your chest." Link suspected Lainey's mother was being unfaithful, or perhaps she'd caught a glimpse of one of Mr. Lonlo's one night stands. The Lonlos may have been rich, and they certainly had the image of the perfect family, but in reality they were terribly dysfunctional.

The young girl looked at him skeptically.

"I don't know if I should. Malon would-"

"Lainey what on earth are you wearing?" Eleanor's angry voice had them both jumping in surprise. She strode into the room, her high heels clicking on the hardwood.

"I think she looks quite fashionable if I do say so myself," Link commented, trying to ease the woman's anger. "Pandas go with everything, you know."

Mrs Lonlo gave a fake laugh as if he had amused her, then looked back to her daughter.

"Lainey..." her voice was deceptively sweet, but Link could tell she was angry, "I told you if you wanted to come downstairs during the party you needed to wear your new dress."

"I'm talking to Link, Eleanor. Could you come back later?" the little girl replied.

Link shook his head. If he had talked that way to his Gram growing up, she'd have beaten his butt til it glowed bright red.

Before Eleanor could make a reply, however, Malon came dashing into the room.

"Hey Link, something's wrong with your cousin!"

Was it that time already? Link glanced at the clock on the side table. It read 8:30, the time the cousins had decided on for Dark to "get sick". Link got up from the sofa, but turned to Lainey and said:

"You know you can call me whenever you want. Malon has my number."

He missed the crestfallen expression on her face, for he was already following Malon out of the room.

The scene in which he found his cousin would have been comical if everyone wasn't so frightened. Dark was laying flat on his face in the middle of the dining room. A few guests were nervously hovering around him.

"Oh my goddesses!" Link pretended to be shocked, dropping to his knees next to Dark's prone form. "He must've fainted!"

"Make way! I'm a doctor!" called a well dressed elderly gentleman. "Don't move him yet!" he told Link.

"I think he just passed out," Link told the man who crouched on Dark's other side to check his pulse.

"Pulse seems weak," the "doctor" noted. He looked up at Link. "We'll flip him on three. One, two, three..."

Link did most of the flipping. Dark – now laying on his back – kept his eyes closed and face slack. This was when Mr Lonlo came into the room.

"What on earth is going on?" the businessman asked.

"You need to call an ambulance," the old man replied urgently.

Link's eyes bulged. What kind of doctor was this man?

"Uh, I doubt that's necessary! I mean, he just passed out. He's probably dehydrated..." Link stammered.

Dark chose this moment to 'come to'. His eyes fluttered open, amber eyes regarding his cousin wearily.

"Link? Is that you?" he rasped, a shaky hand reaching for Link's face. Link had to stifle the urge to roll his eyes.

"Someone get a glass of water!" the old man cried as Link helped Dark sit up.

"What happened?" Link asked him.

"I was just walking along when I started to feel kind of dizzy," Dark explained. "Next thing I knew everything went black." A cup of water was thrust under his nose.

"Drink this, young man," the old man ordered. Dark accepted the cup and slowly drank it.

"I should probably take him home," Link announced.

"Oh there's no need for you to drive all the way back to the city," Mr Lonlo spoke up. "He can lay down in one of the guest rooms."

Link could not believe his ears. Of all the times for Mr Lonlo to start being considerate!

"That's very kind of you," Dark interjected, "But I only feel comfortable in my own bed. I have a.. erm blanket and ah a nightlight..."

"Yeeeeeah..." Link chimed in, "Thanks anyway, Mr Lonlo."

"Do you think you can stand, Son?" the old man asked Dark.

"Yes I think so. Thanks a lot."

5 Minutes later...

"What the hell was that?" Link demanded incredulously as he and Dark power walked down the driveway to where they'd parked the truck. Why he was whispering he had no idea; they were a good distance from the house by now. Of course, even now Dark had an arm over Link's shoulder and Link kept an arm around his waist to support him – just in case there was someone watching them.

"I was supposed to get sick so we'd have to go home," Dark shrugged. "How was I supposed to know everyone would freak out?"

"What I meant by 'get sick' was for you to claim sickness, you know? Like say you were nauseous or something!"

"It hardly matters now. We got to leave early. I don't see what the problem is..."

Link sighed.

"The big deal is that I almost had a heart attack when that Doctor guy wanted to call an ambulance," Link muttered as they reached the truck.

"Huh. Coulda been ironic if that had played out, eh?" Dark didn't miss a beat. "It'd be the best timing for a heart attack ever in the history of heart attacks."

"You're hilarious..."

"That's what everyone tells me."

* * *

_Kafei and Anju's Apartment 10:00pm _

"Okay, you have to stop..." Midna told her best friend, who'd been checking out the window for Link every few minutes for the past hour. Zelda guiltily looked away from the window; she thought she was being discreet.

"You're being obsessive," Midna said. Zelda threw her head back in exasperation.

"I'm sorry! I'm not trying to be..." she whined – then attempted to sneak another peek.

"Zelda!" Midna cried, grabbing Zelda's shoulder to spin her away from temptation. "Stop. Comon' let's go to the balcony off Anju and Kafei's room. It overlooks that garden you like so much."

The blonde shook her head.

"I can't. Link doesn't know anyone here, I don't want-"

"He's a grown man, Zelda. He'll be fine," Midna replied grabbing Zelda by the wrist. Midna led Zelda through the crowded apartment to their friend's bedroom. Well maybe this was for the best, Zelda reasoned. Their balcony _did_ have a great view of a garden that belonged to the next home over and Zelda realized she wouldn't mind getting some fresh air. Unfortunately, they weren't the only ones with that idea.

"Vaati, what are you doing out here?" Zelda's brows knit as she stepped onto the balcony. The purple-haired playboy seemed to be camping out here. He was lounging in a lawn chair and even had a platter of cheese and crackers that he must've swiped from the party.

"Just having my own private party out on the balcony," Vaati smirked, but frowned when Midna came into view. "Zel, why'd you have to bring the banshee?"

"Hiding from your fanclub?" Midna asked with a raised brow. Vaati gave a humorless laugh.

"I have no idea why Anju would invite those girls," he said. "All of 'em are crazy as hell. Though I can't fault them for their taste," he added, winking at Zelda.

"If you weren't such a sleazebag you wouldn't have this problem," Midna commented, leaning against the railing.

"You know Banshee, I'd really like to see your point of view, but I can't seem to get my head that far up my ass," Vaati replied.

Midna glared at him.

"Can we... just not fight tonight?" Zelda asked, feeling drained. "I think I'm getting a headache."

"Having a bad night, kid?" Vaati inquired, tilting his head. He sat up on the chair, making room for another person to sit on the leg rest. "Here have a seat and tell Doctor Vaati what the problem is."

Zelda complied, appreciating the rare show of sympathy on Vaati's part. Midna was not impressed.

"It's none of your business, Vaati," the Twili girl warned but Vaati ignored her.

"You can tell me anything, Zelda," he insisted. "Is it boy troubles? Do you need me to beat someone up?" Zelda giggled despite herself. "What's the trouble, Princess?"

"Nothing's wrong persay..." Zelda told him with a shrug. "I guess I'm just worn out from how busy the past two weeks have been and well..."

"Hmm... I don't think that's it," Vaati observed with narrowed eyes. "If that was the case you wouldn't have been so chipper at the beginning of the party."

Zelda looked at him.

"How'd you know what I was like at the beginning of the party? You weren't here."

"I have my ways of knowing things," he retorted. "Now stop beating around the bush. What's bothering you?"

"Well... Link was supposed to come tonight..." Zelda finally said, "and he isn't here yet. I would call but I don't want to seem-"

"Like a crazy stalker?" Vaati supplied.

"Yeah."

"Huh. Very interesting..." Vaati was silent for a moment. Then. "So he told you that he was coming?"

"Yes," Zelda nodded, "But he said he was going to be late because he had a thing to do beforehand."

"Ahhhh," Vaati grinned like a snake. "He had a _thing_. Did he say what the thing was?"

"No. I didn't ask."

"Of course you didn't. Don't want to seem like a crazy stalker, right?"

"Right..." Zelda frowned, wondering what he was getting at.

"Zelda, I'm going to let you in on a little secret, but you didn't hear it from me," he began. "When you play the game as well I as do, you learn to spot the players."

"Seriously?" Midna asked under her breath, but Vaati continued undeterred.

"I can spot a player from a mile away, and let me tell you young lady, Link is a player."

"There is no way you could know that, Vaati," Zelda exclaimed. "You barely know him!"

Vaati held his hands up, placating.

"Don't get mad at me. I'm just calling it as I see it. In fact, I'd be willing to bet a hundred bucks that he has a girlfriend."

Zelda gaped at him.

"Vaati, just because you lie and cheat doesn't mean that every other man on the planet does that too," she asserted.

"I never said they did. I said that Link did," Vaati clarified.

Zelda was seething. How dare Vaati make such terrible accusations about Link? Link was the kindest, sweetest, most genuine man she'd ever met! Vaati was obviously still upset about her hanging out with Link at the club instead of dancing with him. What a jerk to try to ruin it for her by planting doubts in her mind! Thoroughly offended, the blonde abruptly stood up her back ramrod straight and hands fisted.

"Link isn't that kind of person," she said, her eyes virtually burning with fury. Her next words came unbidden. "And maybe if you could look at woman and see more than an object, you would understand how other men can do it too." Zelda turned to Midna then, as if Vaati wasn't even there. "Let's go back inside Midna."

"Lets," Midna agreed, though before she followed her friend into the house, she nudged Vaati's cheese platter off the balcony.

"Hey!" the man cried, "What the hell?"

"Ooops!" Midna was grinning from ear to ear. "Accident!"

Zelda was fuming. She didn't care how good-looking he was, Zelda had no idea what any woman could see in Vaati. He was a disgusting slime ball, a snake in the grass! How dare he? HOW DARE HE?!

She stalked out of the bedroom and down the dark hallway, only to literally run face into chest into the very man she was looking for.

"Link!" she cried. "You made it! I'm so happy!" Words couldn't describe the relief she felt just seeing him. Zelda gave him a huge hug which he hesitantly returned.

"For a second I was wondering if you got held up at your other thing," she explained as she stepped back from him – and promptly realized something was wrong. It was dark in the hallway, so she had recognized the silhouette and stature but something was off...

"Your hair," she reached up to touch the fringe of his dark bangs. "You dyed it black?"

'Link' who had been completely quiet up to this point, finally spoke as her fingers were in his hair.

"I think you have the wrong cousin."

Zelda blinked, then whipped her hand back as if he had burned her. At this moment Midna appeared behind Zelda.

"So he finally made it," she said.

"No, this isn't Link," Zelda corrected. "You must be Dark?"

"That would be me."

Zelda smiled and offered her hand. He regarded it for a moment, then reached out to shake her hand.

"It's great to meet you," the blonde said, beaming at him. "I'm Zelda Harkinian, if you hadn't figured that out already." She marveled at the physical resemblance between the cousins; it really was uncanny but she didn't say that to Dark. People probably told him that all the time.

"Yeah I kinda figured," the young man smirked.

"This is my best friend, Midna Shadow," Zelda introduced.

"It's great to meet you and all, but why are we standing the dark hallway?" Midna asked.

"I was on my way to the bathroom," Dark mumbled.

"Oh! Well don't let me keep you," Zelda blushed. "It's the last door to the left."

"Thanks."

The young women watched in fascination as Dark walked around them, their eyes following the man til he disappeared into the bathroom. He looked soooo much like his cousin it was almost-

"Freaky with a capital F," Midna muttered.

Zelda had to agree. And she had totally just run her fingers through a strangers hair! She did a mental face palm.

Zelda found the real Link in the living room. He was near the door, listening politely as Anju chattered away. Zelda saw him before he saw her, and she couldn't help but pause and just consider what a nice guy he was. How could anyone think a man like him was a player? He was too nice to be a player. Players weren't nice – they were cocky and arrogant. Players didn't take care of you when you were sick, players didn't walk you home from the dance studio, and they certainly didn't stick around after your big brother punched them in the face!

"You're thinking about what Vaati said, aren't you?" Midna's voice was in her ear.

"Yeah," Zelda sighed. "I am."

"Zelda, listen to me. Vaati was only saying that to get in your head. This is your last night in Hyrule. The last night you can spend with Link. So enjoy it! Ask him to dance!"

And then as if it was planned a slow song started to play and Link looked up at her. Zelda smiled and walked towards him.

_Make You Feel My Love – Adele_

"Hey Zelda look who's here!" Anju said excitedly as the blonde approached.

"I noticed," Zelda smiled at Link. "Im so glad you could make it."

"I wouldn't miss your going-away party for anything, Zel. Though I am a little bit later than I'd hoped to be," he said scratching his neck. Zelda smiled.

"All that matters is that you're here now," she replied. "Dance with me?"

"Sure," he nodded. Zelda took his hand and led him into the middle of the living room floor.

_When the rain is blowing in your face_

_And the whole world is on your case_

_I could offer you a warm embrace_

_To make you feel my love_

Zelda brought her hands up around Link's neck as he put his hands on her waist. She could tell he was hesitant to do so, and his hands were only lightly resting against her, like he was afraid to touch her. Zelda smiled when she saw Anju dragging Kafei onto the dance floor, no doubt pulling him away from a poker game to snag a dance.

_When the evening shadows and the stars appear _

_And there is no one there to dry your tears_

_I could hold you for a million years_

_To make you feel my love_

Zelda smiled up at Link as they swayed back and forth.

"I met your cousin," she told him, "I mistook him for you."

Link chuckled.

"Happens all the time," he said, "It's a good thing we both aren't blonde, huh?"

Zelda nodded, giggling.

_I know you haven't made your mind up yet_

_But I will never do you wrong_

_I've known it from the moment that we met_

_No doubt in my mind where you belong_

_I'd go hungry I'd go black and blue_

_I'd go crawling down the avenue_

_No there's nothing that I wouldn't do_

_To make you feel my love_

Zelda moved closer to Link, laying her head against his chest. Several other couples had joined them on the dance floor, and the petite blonde smiled when she saw Sheik and Midna among them. It was strange, being with Link like this with such a romantic song playing... knowing she was leaving tomorrow.. it almost made her want to cry. Before she knew it, she was.

_The storms are raging on the rolling sea_

_And on the highway of regret_

_The winds of change are blowing wild and free_

_You ain't seen nothing like me yet_

"Hey what's wrong?" Link asked. He shifted to see her face but Zelda pressed her face into his shirt, not wanting him to see her tears. "Zelda?"

She shook her head no, sniffling.

"I'm just really going to miss you," she said at last. Link nodded and before he could stop himself he pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

"I know," he replied. "I know."

_I could make you happy make your dreams come true_

_Nothing that I wouldn't do_

_Go to the ends of the earth for you_

_To make you feel my love_

_To make you feel my love_

* * *

***Sigh* I love Adele. Thanks for reading! Ummm review?**


	9. Passive Aggressive

Thanks to everyone who reviewed last chapter and to SomewhereOnlySheKnows for all her help! I hope you all enjoy chapter nine!

* * *

She Can Move Redux

Chapter Nine: Passive Aggressive

_**Old Hyrule**_

_**Link wiped the sweat from his brow and grabbed his water jug. The sun was high in the sky, beaming down upon his shoulders and bare back; he felt like his skin was baking...**_

_**Today was a scorcher, and the workers were feeling it.**_

"_**Hot enough for ya?" the man beside him asked. Rowan was a thirty something year old mason from Kakariko. He was a jolly fellow and quick-witted – always had a joke to tell. He and Link had hit it off right away, and they often worked side by side during the day.**_

_**Link just smirked and shrugged as he brought his water jug to his lips, tipping his head back to take a long swig. **_

"_**So Link, when are you finally gonna join us at the tavern one of these nights? Drink, maybe play some cards, or find some female companionship..." Rowan trailed off, his eyebrows raising suggestively.**_

"_**You know I'm not much of a drinker, Rowan," Link replied honestly.**_

"_**Comon man, you must be bored out of your mind stuck in your stuffy room all night," Rowan cajoled, though he frowned at the peculiar look on his young friends face. **_

"_**What's with the face?"**_

_**Link blinked at him.**_

"_**What face?"**_

"_**That look on your face," Rowan insisted. "There's something you're not telling me..." he accused. The mason's lips bloomed into a grin.**_

"_**I always look like this," Link replied. He looked at his companion, schooling his features into the very picture of innocence.**_

"_**Huh," the elder man snorted. "Well no matter. I'm a patient man, Link. I'll find out what you're up to eventually." **_

_**Link laughed, shaking his head. There was no way that Rowan would ever guess his coworker had a nightly appointment with the Princess herself. **_

"_**Aw shucks, well what do we have here?" Rowan drawled, interrupting Link's thoughts.**_

_**Link looked at him and Rowan pointed, directing his attention to the courtyard below the scaffolding.**_

_**There stood the very woman he'd been thinking about. The Princess Zelda was looking lovelier than ever, wearing a simple dress that while still regal was no doubt cooler than her normal fashions. Link frowned, however, when he noticed the man standing beside her. He was tall, Link noticed, and he supposed some might consider him handsome with the exception with his odd colored hair. His entire head of hair was a strange bright blue.**_

_**It was impossible to hear what they were talking about due to the sounds of construction, but judging by Zelda's gesturing here and there Link guessed she was giving him a rundown of the rebuilding work and their progress so far.**_

"_**Didn't take long for the suitors to come sniffing around again..." Rowan chuckled, shaking his head. "Can't say I blame 'em though. I've never seen a more beautiful woman in my life, and smart as a whip too..."**_

_**Link said nothing, just watched Zelda and the mysterious visitor as they turned and went back indoors. Suitors hm? The Hero of Twilight wasn't quite sure how he felt about that.**_

* * *

_**Present Day  
**_

_**Atlantic Point Condos**_

_**Media City, Termina**_

"Oh Link, you wouldn't believe this place! The online pictures really didn't do it justice; it's absolutely beautiful," Zelda enthused as she piled the dinner dishes into the sink. "There are brand new hardwood floors throughout the house and gorgeous crown moulding in every room. I mean, right now it's kind of a wreck with all the boxes piled everywhere but I'm working on it."

"Well I'm sure it won't take too long for you to get situated," Link replied pleasantly. He was currently working on the monthly inventory at the Music Shop, but he could count and talk to Zelda at the same time. "I take it everything went smoothly with the move?"

"It was exhausting, Link," Zelda said seriously. "In retrospect we really should have hired movers. I mean, if it had been just our stuff and Midna's it wouldn't have been so bad, but we also had to help Vaati and Mikau move. It was just too much work for one day."

"I can imagine," Link made a face, surveying the shelves in the storeroom. "I wish I could have helped you out with that."

"I know, and it really was sweet of you to offer, but Sheik still doesn't like you very much and I didn't think it was the best idea," she replied. In fact, Zelda had been surprised he'd been so civil with Link at the going-away party – if you count totally ignoring Link as civil.

"Can't say I blame him. We didn't have the best introductions, though at least I held back from running my fingers through his hair," he snickered.

"Link! You know I'm still embarrassed about that!" Zelda whined. "Your cousin must think I'm such a freak!"

"I don't think he thinks that. In fact, I happen to remember Dark telling me that he thought you were a - and I quote - "nice girl", so I wouldn't worry over it."

"Did he really say that?"

"What do you think I'd just make it up?"

"Well okay then," Zelda said. "But it still made things awkward."

"I don't think my cousin gets embarrassed like most people do," Link said offhandedly. "He's extremely laidback in case you haven't noticed."

"I did notice that," Zelda agreed.

"So whereabouts is Vaati and Mikau's new apartment?" Link asked, changing the subject.

"They got a place on Keaton Street I think," Zelda answered. "I feel kind of bad for them because it's not very nice. It's really small and the building is stinky."

Link laughed.

"So there's a big difference between your new place and theirs huh?"

"You have no idea..."

"You'd probably be surprised Zelda, but a lot of guys can be just fine living in dumpy places," Link said.

"I guess. I know I could never live there," Zelda replied. "Oh and you should see Sheik's new room. He got the master bedroom, you know, and he has his own bathroom. It has a shower and a jacuzzi, Link. The kitchen has granite countertops throughout and a breakfast nook."

"Sounds really nice. You'll have to send me some pictures. What's your new room like?" Link asked.

"Well it's definitely nicer than my room back at the brownstone apartment," Zelda replied, then paused. She looked at the pile of dirty dishes in the sink and then at the dishwasher she'd completely forgotten about until then. "Huh."

"Zelda? You there?"

"Oh yeah, I'm here. I was just about to do the dishes when I noticed we have a dishwasher now."

Link chuckled.

"Can you use regular dish soap in a dishwasher?" Zelda thought out loud.

"No. I tell you this from experience," Link answered.

"What happens?"

"Let's just say it makes a huge sudsy mess."

"Hm. I'll have to pick some up then," the petite blonde muttered. She pulled up her sleeves and ran the hot water to fill the sink up.

"Have you explored around your new neighborhood yet?" Link asked.

"A little bit. Midna and I went looking for a grocery since we needed to get some food in the house. We discovered that our building is quite close to a nice looking park and a shopping mall, so I'm excited about that. And we found a wonderful Farmer's Market where all the produce is super fresh. We're really close to the Termina National Theatre too, like within walking distance."

"What is that?"

"It's the home of the Media City Ballet Company," Zelda answered. "Sheik didn't mention it before we moved here, but now I think that's one of the reasons he liked this place."

Link smirked, marking down that they had two boxes of guitar picks on his clipboard.

"Sheik and the guys started at Illumination today," Zelda continued. "Actually he almost overslept but I woke him up in time to get him going." Link laughed at that.

"Did he have a good first day?"

"I don't know yet, I haven't talked to him other than the text he sent me that he wouldn't be home for dinner. Some of the dancers were going out for drinks after work."

"I see..."

"You should start thinking about when you want to come for a visit," Zelda added. Unseen by her, Link's lips twisted bitterly since he knew he'd never be able to take her up on that offer.

"Sure," he said after a moment and Zelda's smile faltered at his hesitation. "Hey Zel, I think I heard my boss out front. I'm gonna have to let you go."

"Oh okay, no problem," she replied, feeling unsettled and not knowing why. "I'll talk to you later then."

"Alright. Bye."

"Bye."

Zelda pulled her hands from the soapy dishwater and dried them on a towel before taking the phone from where she held it between her shoulder and face. She pressed end and set her cell aside, trying not to think about how badly she missed Link, though it seemed as if she were fighting a losing battle.

Saturday night at the party had been wonderful, she reminisced as she got back to washing the dishes. She and Link had danced and ate and chatted, falling into the easy banter that always came so naturally between them. Zelda also got to know Link's cousin Dark – after apologizing profusely for invading his personal space in the hallway. So after having such a great time with him that night had she hoped that perhaps they would have parted with something more than I'll miss you and good luck?

Definitely.

Had she cried herself to sleep that night despite Midna's attempts to comfort her?

Well naturally!

And yet, life went on.

Really what she had expected to happen between her and Link? Had she hoped that they would eventually get together, that they'd"fall in love" as sappy as that sounded? Well maybe she had, the blonde admitted silently. Of course, Zelda knew what _she _wanted but she wasn't very good at reading people. Link had always been a perfect gentleman to her, perhaps a little flirtatious at times but it was all in good fun. The fact of the matter was that Link had turned her down the first time she'd asked him out, and although he had attributed this to just having gotten out of a relationship it was still highly possible that he simply wasn't attracted to her in a romantic way.

Still, Zelda couldn't help but wonder if she hadn't up and moved a few weeks after they'd met if something could have developed between them...

The blonde shook her head. No, she wouldn't think about that. There was no better way to become depressed than to dwell on what could have been.

Just then Zelda heard her brother come in and it sounded like he had Vaati and Mikau with him as well. A moment later her suspicions were confirmed; Sheik burst into the kitchen with Vaati and Mikau on his heels.

"Zellie Bellie!" he shouted, scaring the living daylights out of her when he wrapped his arms around her middle from behind and lifted her clean off the floor.

"Agh!" Zelda laughed. "You're in a good mood. I take it your first day went well?"

"Better than well," Sheik replied, setting her down again. She turned around in his arms.

"Well you have to tell me all about it! Are you guys hungry? There are leftovers I can heat up.."

* * *

"Mama you have to calm down," Midna said. She was pacing the length of her room as she talked to her mother on the phone. "It's perfectly safe here. The security is tighter than Hyrule National Bank! We even have a doorman out front."

"Oh Honey, I don't know. You do understand it's not too late to come back home. I can have your Father come pick you up-"

"Mama this is my home now. I'm not coming back, at least not anytime soon! Everything's going to be fine, oh and by the way Zelda wanted me to tell you hello for her."

"Oh such a sweet girl that Zelda is... but don't you change the subject young lady-"

Midna sighed, though her eyes widened when she heard Sheik and the boys arrive home.

"Mama I know that it's only natural for you to worry, but please understand that I'm fine. Now I have to go. I'll call you next week, alright?" After several more reassurances to her tearful mother, Midna hung up the phone. I love my mother, she chanted, trying not to be too annoyed with her overprotective parent. She crossed the room to check her hair in the mirror above her dresser; she'd slept through Sheik's departure that morning so now Midna was determined to make up for it. She wanted to show an interest in his new job.

"I thought there'd be some kind of orientation or something," Vaati was saying as Midna walked into the kitchen. "But we just got right into it. I have never sweat so much in my life..." The young men were standing at the breakfast nook, as they had yet to procure stools for the space, and talking about their day as Zelda heated up dinner. Sheik looked up at her as she entered, nodding in greeting. Midna smiled back and walked to the fridge to grab a water bottle.

"My legs are killing me," Mikau lamented. "I don't know how I'm going to go back and do the same thing tomorrow."

"Looks like you guys are a little out of shape," Sheik said matter-of-fact. "My legs feel fine. Must be my ninja skills..."

"Okay Shanghai Knights," Vaati waved him off.

"I'm sure it will get easier with time," Zelda said. "Don't be too discouraged over it."

"Now that we're gonna be dancing professionally our diets are going to have to change," Zelda stated as she set a plate in front of Vaati and another in front of Mikau. Dinner was grilled chicken with rice pilaf and a large garden salad.

"Does that mean no more spicy buffalo wings?" Mikau was aghast, but started tucking in like he hadn't eaten in days.

"I'll never stop eating good food even if Nabooru commands me herself," Vaati replied and Mikau grinned at his implied jest of Nabooru's domineering personality.

"She can't be that bad..." Zelda said, placing Sheik's plate in front of him. He dug right in.

"She's not," Sheik answered around a mouthful. "I don't mind Director Amara. So she knows what she wants? She is the director after all." He shrugged dismissively.

"Uh, that's easy for you to say," Vaati retorted. "You're definitely her favorite. She was seriously checkin' you out today."

Midna came to lean against the countertop, water in hand.

"What makes you think that?" she asked cautiously.

"It's painfully obvious. She's always watching him," Vaati said. "She has the hots for him. Big time." He and Mikau started laughing like hyenas while Sheik just smirked, enigmatic as always.

"Seriously Sheik, she's one fine piece. Then there were those other two, Gerudos right?"

"Alessandra and Katrina," Mikau supplied.

"Ohhhhh yes. They were sexy as hell too. And then there was that other girl –"

"Okay we get it!" Zelda exclaimed with a laugh. "You have a lot of pretty coworkers!"

As the others chattered on, Midna was lost in her own thoughts.

'_It seems like the cast of Illumination is filled with gorgeous women, not to mention Nabooru herself. Does she really have a thing for Sheik? And how does he feel about her? If Sheik was attracted to Director Amara I really can't blame him...' _Midna thought. _'I mean, after all, she is gorgeous and I practically had a girl crush on the woman. _

It then occurred to Midna that she was usually very forward when it came to men. Midna was not shy in any sense of the word. She spoke her mind and didn't think twice.

'_So what in the world is it about Sheik that turned me into a shy, pushover?' _She asked herself. Midna was worried that her timidness may have cost her a chance at happiness, but what could she do about it? Silently she made her plans. Obviously, it was time to be a bit more aggressive if she wanted to snag Sheik Harkinian.

Later that night:

Zelda turned over in bed again, unable to sleep. Midna's sudden change in demeanor at dinner had not gone unnoticed by the petite blonde. She could tell that Midna was brooding, and it was making her nervous.

"Are you okay?" she asked the dark room. There was silence; then.

"Not really."

Zelda turned on her side to face the Twili woman who was laying on her back, staring at the ceiling. Yes, despite the fact that they now had their own rooms and own beds, the young women still ended up in the same bed. To not bunk together just seemed weird.

"You're upset about what Vaati said aren't you?" Zelda said knowingly. "He sure does have a knack for making women angry..." This earned a snort of amused agreement.

"You have nothing to worry about, Midna. I'm sure Vaati was just exaggerating. Sheik really likes you; I'm sure of it."

"That makes one of us," Midna replied quietly.

Not knowing what else to say, Zelda cuddled closer to her friend and Midna half-heartedly wrapped an arm around her.

* * *

Now Midna was not a morning person. She was infamous for being grouchy in the morning, even grouchier than she usually was. But despite how much she loathed getting up early, Midna was determined to see Sheik off before he went to work. And so she woke up at 6:30 the next day. After waiting for Zelda to get out of bed and leave the room, Midna got to work. She donned her best push-up bra and adjusted her robe to show her cleavage to advantage. She tousled her hair and applied light makeup, just to mask the circles under her eyes and add a little color to her cheeks. Finally satisfied with her appearance, the young woman headed for the kitchen.

Zelda was standing at the counter putting together Sheik's lunch when Midna walked in. The sleepy blonde did a double take.

"Hey..." she said, looking her up and down. "You're up early..." She squinted at Midna's face. "Are you wearing make-up?"

"Yeah, I couldn't sleep so I just decided to get up," Midna replied airily, smiling as she grabbed a mug to make some tea.

Zelda furrowed her brow but said nothing. She packed her brother's lunch in a big paper bag and set it out on the counter, then filled up his water bottle for him.

Midna was lounging against the counter, a mug of tea in hand when Sheik darted into the room, fully dressed for the day.

"Hey guys," he greeted both of them, then kissed Zelda on the cheek as he grabbed his lunch. "I'm running late. I'll have to grab some breakfast on the way. See ya later." He practically flew out of the kitchen.

"Bye!" Zelda called over her shoulder. Midna blinked at the doorway. Had he even seen her? She walked out into the living room just in time to see the front door bang shut behind him.

"Since you're up do you wanna go check out the park or something?" Zelda asked when she heard Midna come back into the kitchen a few moments later.

"I'm going back to bed," was Midna's grumbled reply. She dropped her mug-full of tea into the sink and stomped back to her room.

Sheik worked late that night and when he finally did come home he took a shower and went straight to bed. The next morning Midna was up at the crack of dawn once more. She was pleased when she found Sheik standing at the counter eating a bowl of cereal.

"Good morning," she said.

"Morning," he replied with a grin. "You're chipper this morning."

He looked at her sideways when she kept watching him. "What's up?"

"Oh nothing," Midna replied. "I just wanted you to know that I'm really proud of you and all the hard work you're doing."

"Well thanks, Midna," Sheik was genuinely touched. "I really appreciate you saying that."

"I've missed you these past few days," she added, "You haven't been around much."

"I know I haven't," he said making a face. "And unfortunately it's only gonna get worse."

He noticed the crestfallen expression on her face and was about to ask her what was wrong when there was a knock at the front door.

"Oh that must be Vaati and Mikau," he said, jumping to his feet. "I'd better get going." Grabbing his duffel bag and water bottle he stopped again and looked at Midna. She looked positively miserable.

"Hey," he came to stand in front of her and reached out to rub her arm. "Everything okay? You feeling homesick?"

She looked up at him and frowned.

"No not homesick," she replied. She knew she needed to ask him about what they were. Were they together? Did he ever have feelings for her was he just messing around? But as badly as she wanted to ask him these things, she simply couldn't choke out the words.

There was another louder knock at the door and Sheik rolled his eyes pulling away from her.

"I gotta go before they break the door down. I'll see ya later, Midna."

"See ya," she said softly, watching him leave. While she still wasn't sure how Sheik felt about her, at least now she knew he still cared about her. No, it wasn't what she'd been hoping for, but their brief conversation gave her hope. Unfortunately, this hope was short-lived.

Vaati and Mikau came over for dinner again that night; once again dinner conversation seemed to revolve around the beautiful women among the cast of Illumination, and their beautiful Director. Once more Vaati teased Sheik about being the teachers pet, Nabooru's favorite, and the elder Harkinian just smiled.

Later that night as Zelda and Midna lay in bed, Zelda once again tried to comfort her friend.

"He's just been preoccupied with work, Midna," Zelda said. She hated seeing her best friend so dejected. It was quiet for a few minutes as each woman was lost in their own thoughts. Finally Midna spoke up.

"I think I'll drop by Sheik's work tomorrow," she said. Zelda frowned.

"Why would you do that?" the blonde asked slowly.

"Because tomorrow Sheik will forget his water bottle at home and I'll have to bring it to him."

"How do you know he'll forget his water bottle?"

There was a rustling of blankets and then Midna brought an object into view. Zelda reached out to touch it; it was indeed Sheik's water bottle. Midna had taken it from his bag. Zelda bit her lip, not liking this idea at all.

"I have to go see him at work and make an appearance, just to see what I'm up against. You heard what the guys said about Nabooru favoring him. He'll be spending more and more time at work as they begin rehearsals and that means more time with her! Who knows what could happen," Midna's imagination could conjure up many a scenario.

"Midna, you should just talk to Sheik one on one," Zelda said shaking her head. "This is crazy."

"Oh I'll show you crazy," the other woman muttered. "I'll show you crazy when I snatch that weave right up off her head..."

"Midna!"

"And you better not say anything to clue him in that I'm coming," Midna continued. "I want it to be a surprise!"

"But-"

"Promise me that you won't tell him, Zelda."

Zelda sighed.

"Fine, I promise. Just don't do anything stupid, Midna."

"I know what I'm doing," was Midna's reply.

Knowing there was no point in arguing over it since her friend had obviously made her mind up, Zelda huffed and rolled onto her back glaring at the ceiling. This would not end well.

* * *

Midna set out for the Paragon a little before noon, Sheik's water bottle in hand; she wore a black strapless cotton eyelet dress that fell to her mid-thigh and a pair of high heeled sandals. After a bit of cajoling she'd even been able to convince Zelda to do her hair and makeup. She wore her hair down at Zelda's suggestion; it was perfectly straight and fell about her shoulders in glossy orange strands.

She was terribly nervous but nevertheless determined to make a statement by her appearance at Sheik's place of work. Steeling herself as she reached the Paragon, Midna pulled open the heavy glass doors and walked inside.

The huge foyer was empty with the exception of a young girl sitting inside the large circular, glass enclosed ticket booth/information center. There were a total of five stations within the booth, but on a weekday only one person was needed, probably to act as a receptionist and answer the phones. The clicking of Midnas' heels on the granite tiled floor alerted the receptionist that someone was there and she quickly hid her romance novel beneath the counter top.

"May I help you?" She asked through the microphone as the Twili girl approached. Midna smiled nervously.

"I'm here to see Sheik Harkinian..."

"And your name is?" The girl asked.

"Midna Shadow," she replied, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. The receptionist nodded and pushed a button on her headset. "There's a Miss Shadow here to see a Sheik Harkinian... Alright I will..." She looked back at Midna. "He'll be out in just a minute. Have a seat will you?"

Midna thanked the receptionist and walked to a nearby couch, all the while trying to quell her nervousness. She sat down and crossed her legs; when her dress rode up she did nothing to adjust it. She was out to snag a man after all.

"Excuse me, Miss?" a deep male voice asked suddenly. Midna looked up and blinked. Standing before her was the handsome Twili man she'd seen across the room on the day of auditions!

"Can I help you?" Midna asked, gathering her wits. He was even better looking up close and that never happens...

"Well I noticed you sitting here and I recognized you from the day of auditions. My name is Javed. And yours?" he offered his hand in greeting.

"I'm Midna," the Twili woman replied, standing up. She accepted his hand and shook it, smiling demurely.

"Forgive me for being so forward, but I know you are going with that Harkinian fellow. If you ever tire of him please let me know," Javed told her, his grin revealing a perfect set of straight white teeth. "I think we could have a lot of fun together."

Midna frowned at him, but then remembered that Sheik had told a few girls that she was his girlfriend. Did everyone think that? Too puzzled to answer him, Midna murmured a shaky okay and Javed strode off, casting a flirtatious glance over his shoulder before he went back into the auditorium. The doors swung shut behind him only to open once more revealing a shirtless Sheik striding towards her. She smiled as he approached, fighting to keep her eyes off his washboard abs and defined pectorals, tan and glistening with sweat, oh goddesses...

There really was no hope for her.

"Hey," He greeted once he stood before her. "You look nice..."

"Hi. Sorry to bother you at work..." she looked away and smoothed a hand down her dress, suddenly self-conscious.

"Is everything alright?" Sheik asked with a furrowed brow. He tilted his head down trying to make eye contact, then noticed his water bottle clutched in her hand.

"Oh! You found my water bottle," he said. "I was looking all over for it this morning; I figured I'd lost it."

Midna just smiled and told him she found it in the living room, which was partially true.

"Huh. I must've missed it," he shrugged. "Director Amara will be giving us a lot of new gear soon anyway. Everything has to have the Illumination Logo on it so-"

"**Harkinian! We're waiting on you!**" the bellowing call of Director Amara herself had both Sheik and Midna jumping in fright.

"I have to get back in there," Sheik told her, then frowned. "Are you sure everything's alright?"

Midna grimaced, annoyed with herself, yet she forced herself to meet his gaze. Her heart was beating as if she'd just run a mile, her palms were sweaty... she was a mess. And all because of him...

"I'm not sure if everything's alright..." she finally admitted quietly. "I'm not sure what to think-"

"**HARKINIAN**!" This time the yelling was much louder and therefore closer. A moment later and Director Amara was stalking into the auditorium looking quite annoyed. The moment effectively ruined, Midna huffed in frustration as Sheik whirled around to face his boss. Midna hated the woman even more when she noticed how amazing Nabooru looked in only a sportsbra and yoga pants.

"I'm sorry to hold everyone up Director Amara," Sheik apologized as the woman approached.

"What? Is this another one of your admirers?" Nabooru quipped, crossing her arms. She turned to Midna, raising an eyebrow. "You've got some competition, Honey."

Midna gaped at the woman; was she talking about herself? Her eyes narrowed as something inside her snapped.

Bitch was going _down_.

"Actually might I have a word with you, Miss Amara? In private?" Midna asked crisply. The Gerudo considered her a moment before a cheshire grin spread across her lips.

"I think I could spare a moment..." she replied silkily. "Let's speak in my office shall we?"

"Let's," Midna agreed. "See you later, Sheik," she threw over her shoulder as Nabooru led her away. Sheik was left to stare at their backs, wondering what in the hell had just happened...

* * *

Director Amaras' office was the definition of glamorous. On the far side of the room, huge floor to ceiling windows exhibited a gorgeous view of the glistening Media City skyline and exquisite granite floors adorned the entire space. A humungous piece of slate had been encased in the wall with water flowing down the surface like a waterfall, but even the loveliness of the room would not distract Midna from the task at hand. Nabooru led her to a seating area with a large cream colored leather sofa and gestured for Midna to take a seat, while she herself sat down in a matching armchair.

"I remember your audition," Nabooru began, crossing her legs. "Are you here to ask me to reconsider you for a part?"

"Actually no," Midna replied. Her eyes narrowed to slits. "This is personal."

The cheshire grin reappeared on the Gerudo.

"And what personal business would you have to discuss with me?"

As if she had no idea! Midna was fuming. She sat forward in her seat, and fixed the Gerudo with a steely glare.

"You're a busy woman, so I'll keep this short. Leave Sheik alone. I don't give a flying leap whether your his boss or not; he's mine."

"Warning me off, are you Miss Shadow?" Nabooru asked, smirking.

"Absolutely," Midna replied, deadly serious.

"Let me just ask you one question," The gorgeous director responded smoothly. Midna frowned as she watched the woman reach for a magazine on the coffee table. "Have you heard of my boyfriend, Ganondorf Dragmire?"

Bewildered, Midna accepted the magazine when Nabooru handed it to her. It was this months Termina Esquire, and on the cover was a strikingly handsome Gerudo man in a finely tailored suit. The main blurb on the cover read: Ganondorf Dragmire CEO of Dragmire Enterprises Shares His Secrets to Success.

"Your... boyfriend?" Midna asked, still looking at the picture. When she looked back up Nabooru was smirking at her.

"Oh," Midna said dumbly.

"Sweetheart," Nabooru drawled. "Nothing against Sheik, but my man makes him look like a preteen. You can keep your boy."

Looking back at the severely muscular businessman on the magazine cover, Midna had to agree.

"Goddesses," she breathed, mortified with herself. "Director Amara... I-"

"Please, call me Nabooru," Nabooru interrupted gently. Then added "It's not often I have the pleasure of conversing with someone who isn't afraid of me."

Midna let out a nervous laugh.

"Nabooru," she began again. "I'm so sorry. This is a huge misunderstanding on my part."

"Indeed it is. Just what on earth convinced you that I was smitten with him?"

Midna shook her head and sighed.

"The boys were telling us about working here," she said tiredly, "and Vaati was saying how you favored Sheik. How you were always watching him. He is my best friends' older brother and I've liked him for a while now but we aren't really dating."

"But my girls say he is seeing a Twili woman. You are not this woman?"

"He told two girls that I was his girlfriend the day of the audition because they were supposedly coming on too strong."

"Bull," Nabooru replied bluntly. "You need to read between the lines. I saw the way he was looking at you. He obviously lusts for you, but he is probably unsure. Perhaps you used to be like a little sister to him and now he feels perverted for wanting you."

Midna blinked at her outspokenness.

"And as for Mr Minish's claims I do favor him," Nabooru continued. "He's the most talented dancer here and of great value to me in realizing my vision for this production. But as for watching him all the time, I do that with everyone. It seems to me that Mr Minish was being a troublemaker..."

"But what about what you said downstairs? That I have a lot of competition?"

"You do! The women around here love Sheik. Though I only have eyes for my Ganondorf, I too will admit Sheik is an attractive young man."

"Yeah. Sometimes I wish he were a little less so," Midna mumbled.

"Well as interesting as this situation is, I really must be getting back to my work. That is if you are finished making accusations," Nabooru stated, standing up. "If you are so enamored with him, then you should be telling him your feelings, not me. Life is too short to drag your feet in matters of the heart, and so here is what you will do."

"You will march downstairs, you will find Sheik, you will grab him and you will kiss him like he's never been kissed before," Nabooru commanded. "It will be dramatic; it will be romantic, and you will go right now."

Midna looked at her like a deer caught in headlights.

"I can't do that..."

"Oh yes you can and you will! This is my advice to you, and you will follow it to make atonement for wasting my time," Nabooru replied authoritatively. "Now come. I shall walk with you."

In the auditorium:

The dancers were lazing about, waiting for their MIA Director. Instead of talking or goofing off like the rest of his cast mates, Sheik was sitting on the edge of the stage, pondering over Midna's peculiar visit.

When he suddenly heard her voice call his name, he looked up in time to see her storming down the walkway with Nabooru on her heels, a determined look in her eye. Sheik dropped down to his feet, thoroughly confused and as she drew nearer he opened his mouth to ask what was going on – but never got the chance. Midna stepped right up to him and wrapped her arms around his neck, bringing her body tight against his. For a split second they were face to face; she looked straight into his startled red eyes and then – she kissed him.

Right on the lips.

Sheik stiffened, his shoulders bunching up in complete surprise. Midna deepened the kiss and he felt himself melting. Somewhere in the auditorium there was a loud whoop cheering them on.

"I'll see you later," she breathed against his mouth. Then she turned and sauntered out the way she came, shocking Sheik for the third time that day.

Vaati and Mikau gaped at the scene from across the stage, then jumped when Director Amara's barking shout rang out from directly behind them.

"Stop making trouble, troublemaker!" Nabooru bellowed, then smacked Vaati across the back of his head.

"What was that about?" Mikau asked wide-eyed as the director stalked off.

"Hell if I know..." Vaati winced, rubbing his abused scalp.

* * *

Midna did not regret kissing Sheik, but she certainly wished she had said something else to him – something more than I'll see you later. It would have made the wait less awkward, she realized, since she now had to wait to talk to him when he got home.

Zelda had been amazed when she retold her eventful trip to visit Sheik at work.

"You're kind of my hero right now," the blonde had said, wide-eyed. "Maybe I should have tried that with Link," she'd went on to joke.

But seriously, the waiting was the hardest part. And so, Midna concentrated on unpacking since there was plenty that needed to be done, and before she knew it it was nearly dinner time. Sheik would be home any minute. She was sitting on the living room floor just doing a few stretches when she heard the front door open and close. Then came the sound of a duffle bag dropping to the floor followed by Sheik kicking off his shoes. Then the footsteps went into the kitchen and she heard Zelda greet her brother.

"How was your day?" Midna heard Zelda ask.

"Pretty good," Sheik replied. "What's for dinner?"

"Tacos," Zelda answered. "I set up the dining room table today so we can sit down and eat."

Midna frowned, then got to her feet and padded through the house towards the kitchen.

"No Vaati and Mikau tonight?" Zelda was saying.

"No. Not tonight. They were getting some takeout near their place."

When Midna walked into the kitchen, Sheik was sitting at the table happily piling toppings on his taco. He looked up at her and smiled.

"Hey Midna," he greeted. And then he looked back down, preoccupied with the sour cream.

Zelda looked from Midna to Sheik and then back to Midna. The Twili woman looked confused and a bit upset, though she said nothing as she took a seat at the table. It was painfully quiet other than the clinks of silverware against the serving dishes. Of course, Zelda couldn't stand awkward silence so she had to say something.

"So... I've been doing some research on where to buy stools for the breakfast bar," she said. Yeah it was lame but it was better than nothing.

"Where did you have in mind?" Sheik asked.

"Well there's a nice looking furniture place I found looking online and it's only a few blocks away. I still have to figure out how many to buy though."

"I think you could fit four there," the elder Harkinian replied. "These tacos are great, Zel."

"Thanks. I just used the seasoning packets like usual."

"Maybe I'm just really hungry then," Sheik shrugged.

The siblings jumped in unison when Midna abruptly stood from the table, her chair tipping over behind her. She glared at Sheik, a vein throbbing madly in her forehead.

"You're a real jackass, you know that?!" she shouted at him. Then she turned on her heel and stormed out of the room. Sheik looked from the doorway to Zelda, who was scowling at him.

"What did you do?" she demanded and Sheik let out a long sigh as he rubbed his forehead.

* * *

A few minutes later, Midna was curled up on her bed facing the wall when there was a knock on her bedroom door. When she didn't answer it, she heard the doorknob being jiggled. She was glad she'd locked it.

"Midna open the door," she heard Sheik say.

"I don't want to talk to you right now!" she shouted.

"Well that's too bad because I want to talk to you!"

"Sheik you have had plenty of time to talk to me! I bet you're real impressed with yourself, huh? You led me on and strung me along. It's all a big game to you isn't it?"

"Midna..."

"I thought you were different," she said bitterly. "I've been very foolish..."

Sheik didn't reply. Instead Midna heard him walk away from the door and back down the hall. Her heart sank; Sheik didn't deny anything she'd said. She must've been right on. That jerk! That dirty rotten player! She hated him! She hated him more than anything and anyone!

The footsteps returned followed by a peculiar sound at the door. Midna sat up in bed when she realized Sheik was picking the lock! She jumped up, searching about the room for something to block the door with but was too late. There was a click from the lock and the door was pushed open, revealing a very somber Sheik.

"I have a confession to make," he said softly as he stepped into the room.

She turned away from him, but he continued anyway.

"On Monday one of my coworkers asked about you. He'd seen you at the auditions and wanted to know if you were seeing anyone. I told him we were a couple."

Midna's brows knit together. Did he mean Javed?

"Why would you say that?" she asked quietly.

"Because I wanted you," he replied frankly. "But I hadn't gotten around to doing anything about it, though I was planning to."

Midna remained silent as he came to stand directly behind her.

"I was going to ask if you'd be my date for the Illumination Premier After-Party next month," he said calmly, "But seeing as you hate me right now, the answer is probably no isn't it?"

Midna turned around and looked up at him, all her previous anger forgotten.

"Sheik, are we together?" Midna whispered. "Are we a couple?"

"Is that what you want?"

Her hopeful look collapsed into a scowl.

"Well yeah!" she snapped. "Are you really that dense not to know that by now?"

"Then we're a couple," Sheik shrugged.

Midna rolled her eyes and was about to walk away from him when he wrapped his arms around her waist, effectively trapping her. Pulling her close to him, he leaned down and ran the tip of his nose up and down against her temple, enjoying the scent of her hair and skin.

"I couldn't stop thinking about you today," he murmured, smirking when it made her shiver. "I've wanted to kiss you for a while now, and when we finally did it was better than I ever imagined."

"Then why didn't you say anything when you got home?" Midna asked, her eyes closing with the sensations he was creating in her. She was practically melting in his arms and he was barely doing anything!

"I figured you would mention it when you were ready to talk about it," he replied. "Of course, if I had known you'd freak out I would have talked to you right away. But for now, I think we've done enough talking." And with that he kissed her.

"You've turned me into an emotional woman," she murmured, "I really should kill you for that."

Sheik chuckled deeply and kissed her again.

Zelda – who had been eavesdropping on them from the hallway – was grinning ear to ear as she tiptoed back into the kitchen to give them some privacy. She did a little happy dance, proud of her share in their getting together. She did deserve a little credit after all, since she'd pointed Sheik in the right direction in the first place. Zelda smiled though the rest of her dinner, perfectly content to eat alone given the circumstances.

* * *

For the most part, Link enjoyed working at the Music Shop, but on some days when it was super slow and there was nothing to do he would start to get a little antsy. As of late, whenever he was bored at work he would just call Zelda, but now he was trying to resist. Unfortunately, just because he wasn't calling her didn't mean he wouldn't still think about her.

It really was ridiculous how much he missed her, Link thought as he sat hunched over behind the counter, glazed blue eyes watching the front door. The worst part about it was that he felt bad for feeling the way he did, since he was obviously way too attached to her. He thought about her far more than he did Malon. What did that say about him, he wondered. Nothing good.

He really hadn't left things on the best note with Zelda, he realized, remembering her voice after his less than enthusiastic response to her invite to come visit. Maybe he should just give her a quick call... he reached toward his phone on the countertop then froze. No, he thought, whipping his hand back and glaring at the cell phone. He didn't need to talk to her!

Link looked up when the front door opened with a jingle, but was annoyed to find one of their stranger customers walking in. He was a young man named Grog; a straggly, somber-looking fellow, who dressed like a hobo and smelled like one too. And yes that really was his name. (Link had asked him many times if he had a last name and the man told him it was just Grog.)

"Just one word? Like Cher?" Link had laughed, but stopped when he was met with stony silence. This one wasn't big on jokes apparently. He was, however, very big on a certain unique instrument they had for sale. It was an authentic ceremonial Gerudo didgeridoo that was estimated to be about 300 years old and measured six feet long.

Grog was a nuisance because you really had to watch him. Despite the dozens of visits he'd made to the music shop, he never bought anything and that was a red flag of a typical shoplifter. Instead he sat down with the "big wooden flute" as he called it, and ran his hands up and down the wood, sometimes muttering softly.

That's retail for you.

"What do you like so much about the didgeridoo, man?" Link asked, just for the sake of conversation.

Grog looked up at him, expressionless.

"We get each other," he finally said.

Link blinked; Then pursed his lips and nodded. He was relieved when his cell phone rang and the caller ID showed that it was Zelda.

"Thank Farore," Link muttered, picking it up. Since he hadn't called her it didn't count.

"Well if it isn't the world traveler..." he said with a smile, tucking his phone between his ear and his shoulder.

Zelda giggled on the other end of the line.

"How are you, Link?" she asked.

"Good now that I'm talking to you. And yourself?"

"I'm good. I'm actually at the grocery store buying dishwasher detergent and I thought of you," Zelda said. "What are you up to right now?"

"Oh just on my lunch break at work," Link replied."It's awfully nice to hear your voice, Zel. Now tell me the truth: how much do you miss me on a scale from one to ten?" One day Link would realize how he just seemed to fall back into flirting with Zelda, even when he really was trying not to. For now he just thought of it as friendly banter.

Zelda giggled again and Link could imagine her smiling.

"I don't know, maybe a seven and a half?"

"The correct answer was eleven," Link teased.

"It's been less than a week since I saw you last. Don't be conceited," she replied, good-naturedly. "I have big news, you know."

"Oh really? And what would that be?"

"Guess who's a couple now!"

"Hmmm... I don't know. Tell me."

"Sheik and Midna!"

"No kidding."

"Mmhm! It just happened yesterday," Zelda said happily. She then went on to tell him about how crazy it had been around their house up until they finally got together. "So needless to say things are a bit more peaceful now," she told him in conclusion.

"So you're probably quite pleased with yourself, eh Miss Matchmaker?" Link asked with a smile.

"Well maybe a teensy bit," Zelda replied with a grin. Then.

"Oh I'm so sorry!" Link heard her exclaim.

"You okay Zel?" He asked but there was no answer. Instead he heard Zelda talking to someone else.

"Please forgive me, I wasn't paying attention," she was saying. She must have accidentally bumped into someone while she preoccupied with their conversation.

"It's alright," Link heard a masculine voice reply. "No harm done."

"I'm Marth," He heard the man say and although Link couldn't make out the next thing he said, judging by Zelda's shaky laugh the man was flirting with her.

"What's your name?" Marths' deep voice asked.

"Zelda, nice to meet you." Zeldas' melodious voice replied.

"Ahh, Zelda. Pretty name for a _very_ pretty girl..." Link rolled his eyes. What a shmoozer... Surely Zelda wasn't buying into this...

"Hehe, thanks," Link rolled his eyes at her coquettish reply.

"You on the phone with your boyfriend?" Marth asked. Link leaned forward on the stool, curiously awaiting her answer.

"No, just a good friend..." She replied. Link thought he detected sadness in her tone, but couldn't be sure.

"Well listen, I'd love to see you again, maybe get a cup of coffee or something?"

"Well I kinda just moved here from Hyrule Castle City and I've been really busy..."

"It's so easy to say no," Marth interrupted smoothly. "Just give me a chance. It's only coffee..." Link didn't like this guy. Way too pushy. And the worst part was that he just knew she was going to say yes. Zelda was just too nice, he conceded.

"I don't think so," Link was pleasantly surprised when Zelda turned him down.

"Ah well, I had to give it a try," Marth said, "Maybe I'll see you around?"

"Yeah. It was nice meeting you," she said, always friendly. A few moments passed, and Link figured Marth was walking away.

"Link? Are you still there?" Zeldas' voice came in clearer again.

"Yeah, I'm here. What was _that _about?" he asked.

"Oh, nothing. I just bumped into a guy on accident. He had blue hair."

"Hmmph, what a loser," Link chuckled but Zeldas' response wiped the smile right off his face.

"Don't say that Link, he was a nice guy. I bumped into him when I wasn't paying attention and he didn't even get mad at me."

Link was silent.

"Link?"

"Oh, sorry Zelda, I zoned out for a minute there."

"Anyway, I have to go now. I have to get in the check out line and you know how people get when you talk on the phone while cashing out..."

"Sure thing, Zel. I'll talk to you later?"

"Sounds good Link."

"Okay. Bye."

"Bye."

After Zelda hung up, Link sighed and laid his phone back on the counter. He shook his head, realizing that just then he'd been behaving as a jealous boyfriend would. He really needed to stop thinking about Zelda that way since they could never be together and to continue to harbor feelings like this was unhealthy in too many ways to count.

And then the door jingled and he looked up. Grog had left; his eyes darted over to the far wall and he swore when he realized the didgeridoo was gone too! That son of a bitch had stolen his didgeridoo! Link ran out the door in hot pursuit, almost laughing when he saw Grog up ahead trying to run with the huge thing.

"GET BACK HERE!" Link shouted, running as fast as he could. "STOP! THEIF!"

A few minutes later:

"Why would anyone try to steal something so huge?" Link asked himself as he trudged back to the store with the instrument slung over his shoulders. "What an idiot..." After managing to open the front door he went inside and placed the Gerudo artifact back where it belonged. He would have to talk to Mr Sharp about locking it up or something...

A shrill ring suddenly sounded by the register; it was the store phone. Link walked over and picked it up, still huffing and puffing.

"Composer Brothers Music Shop," he answered.

"Link?" a small voice whispered.

Link frowned.

"Lainey?" he asked incredulously. "Are you alright?"

"I'm okay Link, but I have to talk to you," the little girl replied urgently. "It's very important."

* * *

**_Hey everyone! Sorry this chapter was so late! I hope it's length makes up for it though!_**

**_1) I imagine Nabooru talking with a accent. Like a Spanish or Russian accent... I don't know._**

**_2) Shanghai Knights was an old Kung Fu Movie from the 90's. _**

**_3) I love Shidna. I know it's a crack pair, but there are actually quite a few crack pairings that I like (mostly in other fandoms) Though I wouldn't mind reading a Zelda/Sheik fic with Sheik as Zelda's bodyguard or maybe an Impa/Sheik with Sheik as a man. If anyone knows of a story like this I would be interested in reading it so please let me know via PM or in a review :)_**

**_4) Thanks for reading! If you review you get a cookie! Not sure when the next update will be but prob within three to four weeks. What can I say, it's summer! I want to be outside in the sun :D_**

**_See ya next time,_**

**_Miss Ashlynn_**


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